


Take Me Away

by oppositeofstomach



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/M, I definitely went off script from canon a few times, Possessive!Jacob, Reader is book smart not street smart, Slow Burn, because we're just here for the fun right?, but that's all right, like a lot, the reader talks a lot, you know I'm a slut for some smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-03-04 07:52:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 32,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13359846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oppositeofstomach/pseuds/oppositeofstomach
Summary: Why not send the least qualified Assassin after two future Master Assassins? Because that's a great idea





	1. From a Small Town

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking on my fic!  
> I don't really have a set schedule this time around...probably weekends it'll be updated...idk  
> ╮(￣▽￣)╭  
> But lemme know what you think!

            “They’ve gone to London?! To do what? Sully the name Assassin even more than it already has been?!”

            “We have yet to gain London back from the Templars. Perhaps they could be of assistance.”

            “Those Frye Twins have caused enough destruction! Letting them run rampant in London would only increase the amount of damage control we must do.”

            You leaned against the wall outside the Council Room as the group of Assassins argued the recent, albeit predictable, rebelliousness of the Frye twins escape to London. Jacob had always said that he couldn’t stand being in Crawley, claiming it limited his development. You used your Eagle Vision to peep even more on the council meeting.

            “If we were to send anyone to London, Jacob and Evie would’ve been on that list of suggestions.” George Westhouse interjected.

            “It’s too dangerous for them.” A councilwoman argued. “They are not ready to handle the Templars in London.”

            “I agree.” A councilman said. “What’s important right now is who we send to retrieve them. They’ve made it quite clear they don’t heed your words well, George.” George looked at the Council.

            “Be that as it may, I still do not believe it is necessary to bring them back. Might I elaborate?” George asked. The Council remained quiet for him to continue. “If they should fail, they will return home having learned the limits to their abilities. However, should they succeed, they’ll have eliminated the threat to London. Either way, I believe it will be good for the two of them.” You listened as the Council talked amongst themselves before they reluctantly agreed to leave the Frye Twins be in London.

            Pushing a strand of hair behind your ear, you made your way back to your library, mind racing. You grew up with the twins, and the fact that they left you behind was a bit hurtful. You know you weren’t exactly capable in combat or even free running. At least you could’ve provided assistance for them to disappear without alerting the council.

            You busied yourself in the library to take your mind off their escape to London. You muttered to yourself quietly different facts about everything to do with London when you were interrupted by George.

            “(Y/N)!” You yelped surprised and looked back to see the man. He shook his head. “An assassin must be vigilant at all times.” He chided.

            “Well,” You began with a slight upward push of one shoulder, “There’s a reason why I haven’t gotten the title Assassin yet.”

            “You could do it if you manage to pay attention for once and not always have your face in a book.”

            “When were you planning to tell me that Jacob left?” You asked, changing the subject hastily. George looked at you perplexed.

            “Where did you hear that?”

            “The Council meeting you were having.”

            “Wha…” George began to laugh. “Your stealth is still as impressive as ever. I didn’t even notice you.” He calmed down and grew serious. “I was not aware of Jacob’s plan to go to London. No matter, I have a favor for you, (Y/N).”

            “What is it?”

            “Go to London and keep an eye on them for me.” He requested. They’ll be more trusting of you than me.”

            “With all due respect, that’s not exactly the brightest idea.” You replied immediately.

            “That wasn’t very respectful,” George said.

            “I did say ‘with all due respect’.”

            “That doesn’t make whatever comes afterward respectful, (Y/N).”

            “When a person says that, they don’t want you to be offended. And you my good sir, sound offended. Which means you did not understand what I meant when I said ‘with all due respect’. So, who is in the wrong here?” You argued. George looked at you in disbelief.

            “You! You are! You can’t expect me to seriously go along with your ridiculous way of thinking, can you?”

            “Yes…I can.” You deadpanned. George rubbed his temples. “Let me not give you a headache on top of all the worries you’re dealing with. However, I must remind you that I have two left feet.” You twirled your hand as you circled the library. “I am in no way the athletic type, and there’s no way I could keep up with those two.”

            “I’m not telling you to reclaim all of London.” He remarked. “Just keep an eye on the twins.” You slowed in your pacing of the library to look at the man. George already looked ready to participate in a long fight with you. You scratched your hair.

            “All right.” You reluctantly agreed. “I guess I’d better pack.”

            “I’ve already got your train ticket and luggage. Let’s go.” You looked at him surprised. He smiled. “I was going to send you regardless of anyone else’s, including yours, opinion.” You grumbled underneath your breath as you followed behind George as the two of you headed to the train station. He already had your things in the carriage waiting.

            The two of you arrived at the train station, and George was quick to toss you onto the train, knowing that you’d try a last-minute attempt to dissuade him from this outlandish idea. You took your seat and tucked your feet underneath you as you pulled out a book to read.

            It was only about an hour to London. When you arrived, it wasn’t until you stepped off the train that you realized that you didn’t have the slightest clue as to where Jacob or Evie would be. You didn’t even know where the London Brotherhood resided. You stepped out of the train station and slung your bag onto your back, taking in the surrounding. London was an industrial city so the smog and pollution were everywhere.

            You walked on the sidewalk as you explored the area. You searched for the twins for the next two days but had no luck. You were beginning to get annoyed at George even more than you were when he first asked you to come to London. The next area you found yourself in was Westminister.

            The area seemed a bit more upscale besides the main city of London. You strolled around and managed to find the rougher parts of the area. You looked around at all the rough-looking individuals and prostitutes that roamed the area. You noticed a brothel and debated on whether or not you would find Jacob in there. You felt a vein throb at the thought of Jacob enjoying himself with women.

            The relationship between you and Jacob was definitely more than friends. You thought he was interested in a romantic relationship with you, but after spending your first sexual experience with him, it seemed that it was all he was after. He would still flirt with you, but it was just the same as he did with the other girls. That was enough to irk you into ignoring him and seeking out someone else to potentially make you happy. As much as you tried to move on, Jacob seemed insistent on interfering with any potential relationship of yours. He was making it incredibly difficult for you to ignore the obvious feelings you had towards him.

            You walked past the brothels and decided to check out bars and restaurants in the area. It was called Devil’s Acre, and the deeper you ventured in, the more unwelcomed you felt. The sound of fighting caught your ears, and you found yourself in front of a fight going on between men dressed in red beating up other men dressed in green. You looked at the scene curious then winced when you saw the men in red kill the ones in green.

            One of the men in red noticed you.

            “Who the hell are you?” He asked, wiping the blood from his nose. All eyes were trained on you and goosebumps appeared on your skin.

            “I’m…I’m (Y/N).” You muttered.

            “Speak up!” He yelled.

            “I’m (Y/N)!” You shouted surprised. You placed your hands up. “I’m new to London.” You explain sheepishly. The crowd began to stir and shifted to reveal a woman in red stepping forward.

            “What’s an innocent lass like you doing here?” The woman asked. “Areas like these aren’t too kind to the innocent type like yourself.”

            “I have a poor sense of danger.” You looked around. “The lot of you may have scary faces, but so does my dad, and he doesn’t scare me.” You answered with a smile. The woman looked at you annoyed.

            “A fragile woman like you shouldn’t even be looking me in the eyes.” She said rolling up her sleeves. You raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

            “My family is far more dangerous than you, so this doesn’t really affect me.” The woman squinted her eyes at you before smirking. The men backed up as she stepped into the center of the crowd.

            “You’ve got guts, angel.” She pointed at herself and you. “Why not have a match? The two of us.”

            You took a step back, wanting to avoid this confrontation like the plague. “I apologize for interrupting your gang. Fighting isn’t exactly my area of expertise.” One of her bigger guys pushed you into the center of the crowd. Her group obviously was not going to let you slip away like you’d hoped.

            “I’ll be the judge of that, Miss.” She said, looking eager to rearrange your face. You swallowed hard as you set your bag down to prepare for the fight. You grumbled quietly as you stood in front of her.

            The woman wasted no time to speed forward with a powerful jab. You dodged it barely as you stumbled away from her. “Did you know that with all the adrenaline pumping through your veins right now, it’s best to finish a fight in under two minutes?” You dodged another one of her attacks as you moved around the circle. “In fact, that first punch you threw had about fifty percent of your energy behind it.” The woman tried an upper kick, and you only grabbed her leg, forcing her to spin around so you could easily push her away. “So, to fight someone like you, I just have to keep dodging your attacks. You’ll wear yourself out.”

            The woman looked back at you and charged again. You ducked and moved swiftly around all of her attacks.

            “I just explained this all to you, yet you still try to fight me?” You asked a bit surprised. She aimed to kick your legs out from under you. You jumped away, and she took the chance to land a heavy blow on your chest. Gripping your chest in pain, you saw her charge again at you. You took the chance to push her past you, grab her leg, and force her to the ground. Your hand pressed the side of the woman’s face to the ground while your other hand curled one of her legs back. She tapped the ground twice in surrender and you released her.

            The woman coughed as she pushed herself up. “You say you can’t fight, but those were some pretty good skills.” She commended.

            “Thank you.”

            She turned to you, putting her hand out for a handshake. “I’m Lilla Graves. How would you like to join the Blighters?” You stared at her hand before staring at the woman, shaking your head as you backed up slightly.

            “No, I’m only in London to look for my friends. Being in a gang won’t prove useful to me.” You responded. Lilla chuckled.

            “Joining the Blighters will really have you on the streets of London. We have all the underground connections which could greatly improve the amount of ground you can cover as you search for your friends.” She explained. You pursed your lips, still unsure of the deal.

            “…Can you offer me a place to stay?” Lilla’s grin grew in size.

            “Of course. Welcome to the gang. Let’s go meet my boss.” She said taking your arm. You quickly grabbed your bag and hurried to keep up with her pace as she moved along.

            “Who’s your boss?” You asked as you tossed your bag over your shoulder.

            “Maxwell Roth.”


	2. Oblivious to the Enemy

            “Sir, there’s someone-.” Laila came to a halt at the sight of two men standing together in discussion. You peeked from over her shoulder and could already tell that these two men were definitely people of power.

            “Lilla, my dear, what’s happened?” One of the men asked. She stepped to the side and nudged you forward.

            “This is (Y/N). She’s good. I think you’ll like her. (Y/N), this is my boss Maxwell Roth, and this is Crawford Starrick.” You nodded your head towards the men.

            “Nice to meet you.” You said politely. Your eyes drifted to the man she identified as Crawford Starrick. You couldn’t help but wonder where you’ve seen the man. Lilla went on about your skills while you admired Crawford’s presence. You met the man’s gaze and immediately moved your eyes to stare at the ceiling.

            “So,” Crawford began, stepping towards you and making you look at him. “A skilled woman such as yourself raises suspicion on why she’s decided to join a gang so easily.” You took a small step back and scratched your hair while laughing a bit.

            “It’s understandable that you are suspicious of me. In fact, I think I’d be suspicious of you not being suspicious of me.” You rambled. “If we were being honest, I didn’t join the Blighters just to be affiliated with a gang in the streets of London. As intriguing as that may sound, I don’t think I’m really a person for the city. I’m more of a countryside, book recluse. Um, yes, I’m here in London to actually look for my friends. However, I haven’t the slightest idea of where they could be, that’s where the Blighters come in actually.” You continued, speaking fast and clearly. “They would actually be a great asset in this hunt for my friends. I think it’s a good exchange: their numbers for my skills. The faster I find my friends, the better.”

            Crawford’s eyes scanned over you curious. “You’re saying that you’re using them with no remorse.” He summarized. You gave him a lopsided grin.

            “Is it not the way of life to use others in order to advance your own ambitions?” You remarked. “Mr. Starrick, I’m sure you didn’t get to your position without having some stepping stones.” Crawford looked at you, seemingly lost in thought.

            “…Would you like to have dinner with me? Two nights from now?” He asked. The gears in your head came to a screeching stop as you looked at the man with complete confusion. Lilla also looked at Crawford surprised as well.

            “W-Why?” You forced out, having lost the ability to speak for a moment. A small smile played on Crawford’s face.

            “I’d like to listen to your rambling a bit more. Is that so bad?”

            You covered your mouth, slightly embarrassed. “Oh dear.” You faced Lilla. “Have I been rambling? Oh, my mother always did say that I spoke far too much. She also said I talk too fast, but I think as long as you get the summary of what I say, you should be fine. Don’t you think? In fact, I like to think my brain operates faster than my tongue, some speaking fast is, in fact, my way of trying to keep up with my brain.”

            “You’ve been rambling since I’ve met you.” Lilla interrupted. She raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you can’t tell.”

            “I like the new girl,” Maxwell commented. He grinned at you. “I can’t wait to see what you have to offer the Blighters.” You smiled at him then looked at Crawford, coming to a decision.

            “All right, Mr. Starrick. I’ll accept your invitation.” You replied confidently. “Where did you have in mind.”

            “A surprise.” He replied. “Just tell me where you live. I’ll be picking you up that evening.”

            You gestured towards Lilla. “She’s giving me a place to live since I didn’t have one.” Lilla smiled at you.

            “Well, I guess we should excuse ourselves now, and let the men go back to their discussion.”

            “Is seven okay?” Crawford asked as you turned to leave. You looked back at him.

            “Looks like I’ll have to search for some nice clothes.”

            Crawford smiled. “I’ll have something delivered to you.” You gave a shy smile and followed Lilla out the room. It wasn’t until you got on the street that Lilla spoke up. She turned to face you, looking absolutely baffled.

            “Mr. Starrick isn’t usually so kind.” She began. “It’s peculiar.”

            “Is he your boss as well?”

            “Well, yes in a way. He is Roth’s boss.” She explained. “The odds of seeing Crawford Starrick in person is rare since he’s typically busy with the higher-ups. I guess it’s because…” Lilla’s voice trailed off, and you quietly followed her. You crossed your arms as you tried to recall where you’ve heard Crawford’s name before. It’s vague, but you were sure you’ve heard his name before. Figuring it was because he was a prominent person in London, you followed Lilla as she led you back to her house.

            She gave you a small tour of her house. It was nice and looked more expensive than Lilla could afford.

            “This is your room,” Lilla said as she opened up a door. It was significantly larger than the one you had at home. You wondered what she did with all this space. “There’s a bathroom in that door over there. You can get cleaned up. Tonight, we’re going to need your help in taking care of some rebellious ex-Blighters.”

            “Why?” You asked as you strolled around the room. Lilla chuckled.

            “(Y/N), you’re going to have to earn your keep.”

            “But fighting isn’t my area of expertise.” You insisted.

            “Then you had better learn quick.” She shuffled through a drawer and pulled out an outfit. “I’ll lend you some clothes for you to wear. Much easier to move in than when you’re wearing. After we finish tonight, we can get some food at the pub near there.” She waved as she walked to the door. “I’ll check up on you in a little bit.” You rolled your eyes a bit annoyed.

            “I’ll make you proud.” You teased as you headed towards the bathroom. It felt good to be able to take a bath, but your thoughts were mainly preoccupied with the fact that these names were all oddly familiar to you. Perhaps you had read it in a book.

            Later that evening, you stood head to toe in the Blighters uniform as you stood with the other. Lilla looked eager to get on with the fight seeing as how quickly she charged forward and brought a guy down with one swing. It escalated into a full-on fight. Lilla hopped back to you and pointed at one man standing in the back.

            “That’s my target.” She said. “He’s the leader of this petty rebellion.” She looked at her men. “I want these men disabled, not dead!” She ordered to them. She patted you on the back and hurled herself at men, knocking them to the ground. You removed the weapon from any of the people that moved to attack you. You aimed at their weak points and threw them away from you easily.

            “What’s the point of fighting men like this?” You asked Lilla as you dodged attacks. She glanced back at you before breaking a man’s nose.

            “What do you mean?” She asked.

            “If they left, that means that they didn’t have much loyalty to you, to begin with. There’s really no reason for you to bring them back to your side. They’ll just betray you again.” You continued on.

            “That’s true,” Lilla replied. She tossed the last of the guys to the floor. “However, I need numbers, not loyalty. Besides, only one man needs to die today.” You nodded your head and disappeared into the crowd. You maneuvered your way to the leader of the ex-Blighters and landed a strong blow to his head.

            He grunted and hunched over in pain before looking back at you angrily. You didn’t give him the chance to recover, choosing to land another hard blow to his head. You kicked his legs out from under him. As he fell, you turned your body and used your foot to strike his face. He dropped to the ground unconscious. Lilla looked at you surprised along with the others.

            “Technically, he doesn’t have to die.” You said. You looked at the ex-Blighters. “You all work for Lilla now.” You explained simply. Lilla smirked and walked up to you. Before you could stop her, she drove a knife into the man’s head.

            “He didn’t have to die, but it makes things easier for me.” She turned to her men. “Any complaints?” The men looked at her weary, reluctant to obey. You touched your forehead and sighed.

            “It’s better to cut your losses now, fellas.” You said. “Just be grateful she’s not executing all of you. It wouldn’t benefit either side if you were all dead.” Lilla laughed and patted you on the back.

            “If you keep this up, you might be ranking up before you know it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinner? Yes? I guess?


	3. A Potential Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleh, why did I think I could do two fics at the same time when I can't even do my homework??  
> (ಥ﹏ಥ)

            You used your pen to draw through another area where Jacob and Evie weren’t. You sat on top of a roof and sighed as you looked at the many areas crossed off. You had spent all morning and afternoon searching Westminister for them with no luck.

            “I should’ve listened more thoroughly to what George was saying when he explained the twins’ situation.” You muttered to yourself.

            It had begun to dawn on you that the Blighters may actually have something to do with London being under Templar control. You didn’t have any proof since you hadn’t seen any Templars, but you weren’t that naïve. You looked up at the setting sun.

            “Maybe they can lead me to the top Templars.” You thought aloud. If they did, you could handle the situation without getting anyone hurt. You stood and made your way to the edge of the building. You could parkour, but you were far slower than any of the other assassins. Clumsily, you made your way down the side of the building, thankful when you could feel the solid ground below your feet.

            By the time you made it to Lilla’s place, the dress Crawford promised you had arrived. Lilla looked at it amazed. Just from the color and detail, you could tell that it was expensive.

            “You know the whole colonization thing is deplorable.” You say as you look at the dress. “Getting the dyes from the East and attacking people for no reason. Might I add that the colonization of India was probably the worse? Taking over that land for spices we didn’t even like. Ridiculous.”

            “Shut up, so I can help you into your corset,” Lilla said, already becoming used to your rambling. You turn to her in shock.

            “I…don’t like corsets.” You said. You stepped towards her. “Do you know how many health risks there are behind wearing one? Just to make your waist look so unnatural? The constriction of your lungs should be enough of a reason to not wear one! I have to suffocate?! For beauty, you say? No thank you, monsieur. I’ll be okay. The only time my organs need to be rearranged are when I’m with child, and we’re not going to start with what would happen to my ribs.”

            “Stop complaining.” Lilla dragged you upstairs to a room where she stripped you, forcing you into the corset. You choked as she tightened it.

            “Everything in my torso is being rearranged as we speak.” You wheezed.

            “Like you said, the same this happens when you have a child. Consider this…training.” Lilla said with a laugh as she tightened the lace further. You heaved air when she finished putting on the corset.

            “That puts a damper on the idea of me having a child.” You said, a bit winded. You looked back at Lilla. “Do you have any interest in having one?”

            “Me?” Lilla met your gaze with a smirk. “First, I’d have to find a man who’s not afraid to see a lady covered in blood. Most men think women are too fragile to see blood.” You rolled your eyes while adjusting your breasts in the corset.

            “Women see more blood than men could ever imagine.”

            “Agreed.” Lilla looked at the dress. “What are the odds? I think I have the perfect shoes for this dress.” She went digging in the closet in the room. “My father used to think that I’d return to the life of a high-class woman. He would send me dresses, shoes, and whatnot.”

            “It doesn’t sound like a bad life.” You said.

            “It’s not, but I’m not suited for it.” She explained as she pulled out the shoes for you to see. They were nicely decorated cream colored shoes that could match with just about any outfit. Lilla helped you into the dress and then helped you into the shoes. You stood in front of the mirror, twirling to get a full look of the dress. You came to a stop and grimaced.

            “This is not really my style.” You concluded.

            “You are going on a date with Crawford Starrick. It doesn’t hurt to look nice.” Lilla pointed out. You turned to her.

            “Who exactly is Crawford Starrick? He must be an important individual.”

            Lilla thought for a moment before shrugging. “He’s London.” She answered simply.

            “…It’s a bit confusing the way London works.”

            “Where are you from?”

            “I’m born and raised in Crawley.” You replied.

            “That’s more a country area. London is different, by a large margin.” Lilla said.

            “Yes, London is quite large with all these boroughs.” You agreed. The doorbell rang, cutting the conversation short. Lilla smiled at you.

            “That must be our guest of honor.” You followed Lilla downstairs where she opened her front door and welcomed Crawford inside. Crawford looked at you as you came down the stairs.

            “Good Evening, (Y/N).”

            “Lord Starrick.” You greeted with a curtsy. He placed his hand up.

            “You never told me your last name, so I’d prefer we went on a first name basis.” He insisted.

            “Oh! I never did say it. It’s (Y/L/N). I do like first name basis anyway. It’s friendlier.” You replied. He offered his arm, and you slid your hand into the crook of his elbow. Lilla waved as Crawford led you to his carriage.

            He brought you to an expensive, upscale looking restaurant. You looked around as he brought you inside. You never thought you’d ever eat somewhere like this. The waiter brought you to what seemed like a secluded area. Crawford held out your seat for you. You looked around as he took his own seat. Crawford ordered some wine before looking at you.

            “I hope you’re not too uncomfortable with our seating arrangements.” He began. “I didn’t want you to feel out of place when coming here, so I chose a place that allowed private seating.” You looked at him.

            “Ah, no it’s fine. Thank you for considering me.”

            “I do hope the food is to your liking.” You laughed a bit.

            “I’ll eat anything. My mother always said I was a bit of a glutton. Though, I never really understood why she complained since the food I eat is healthy. If anything, I’ve been increasing the years of my life. To make it even better, I don’t smoke.” You paused for a moment then gave an apologetic look to Crawford. “Sorry, I’m rambling again. I really can’t keep my mouth shut. Everyone tells me to work on that. Well, I guess not my childhood friends. They’ve never said anything about it. Ah, I’m doing it again. Sorry.”

            “It’s quite all right,” Crawford said. “Here, let me recommend you some of the healthier items on the menu.”

            “I’ll take your word for it.” You replied. Together, the two of you looked over the menu and ordered. The food was delivered to you two in record time. The food was arranged elegantly, and you wished there was a way to capture the moment.

            “Was finding your friends the only reason you came to London?” Crawford asked as your main entrée was placed in front of you. You looked at your food.

            “Well, yes. There’s no other reason I’d come. In Crawley, it’s calmer, and there’s less conflict.” You explained.

            “It’s often that I’d like to vacation in the countryside. Perhaps you can join me at some point.” Crawford said with a soft smile. You smiled and chuckled a bit as into your food. You chewed and swallowed before speaking.

            “It’s almost as if you’re trying to court me, Crawford.” You said between giggles.

            Crawford smirked. “I hope you’d take my advances as such.” You tilted your head and gave him a curious, but interested expression. Your dessert was brought out to the two of you.

            “I must ask why a distinguished man such as yourself has ties to the Blighter. They aren’t exactly a group of people someone like yourself should be seen with.” You questioned as you cut into your slice of cake. Crawford smiled at your question.

            “It’s impossible to reach the top without getting dirty at times. They’re helpful when I have to push a few things in my direction.” He looked at you. “If I’m being honest, you are the one who doesn’t seem like the type to engage in such activities like joining the Blighters.”

            “It wasn’t entirely of my free will to join, but I’ll have no interest in them once I’ve found my friends.” You said.

            “I can’t help but find you so intriguing, (Y/N),” Crawford said, catching you off guard. You felt your body temperature increase from the embarrassment.

            “Um, that’s not something I hear…at all.” You replied, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

            Crawford smiled. “Good, originality is what I enjoy most.”


	4. The Decree

            The pasta slipped through your fork back onto your plate with a splat. In front of you, Lilla had slammed two pictures: one of Evie and one of Jacob.

            “Their names are Jacob and Evie Frye. Twins.” Lilla announced. “Remember their names and faces well. They’re the leaders of the Rooks. They’re the ones causing trouble in other boroughs. They also are the ones who killed Kaylock and Strain.” The other Blighters talked amongst themselves, thirsting for the heads of the twins. You kept staring at their pictures, feeling your body temperature drop a few degrees.

            Lilla pulled you away from your food to take you to a more private area. The first thing on your mind is that she might’ve figured out that Evie and Jacob are the friends you’ve been looking for. Lilla backed you against a wall, and your eyes dropped down to your shoes.

            “You can’t go out with Crawford again until this issue has been resolved,” Lilla stated firmly. You rubbed your face so that she wouldn’t notice the huge sigh of relief you gave. You were still able to stay under the radar. It’s been almost a week you’ve been spending with Crawford, and if you were being honest, you had become a bit sidetracked from finding the twins

            “All right.” You said with a nod of your head. With the twins taking out the Blighters, it had become clear to you that they were definitely the ones Jacob and Evie were trying to crush. You followed Lilla back out to see the other Blighters awaiting Lilla’s instructions.

            “I want more men at out Strongholds.” She instructed. “These guys aren’t fucking playing games with us. I want everyone to know what they look like. The moment they’re spotted in Westminister, I want to know.” She looked at her underlings. “No slacking! Understood? Dismissed!”

            The Blighters all pushed to their feet. “Yes!” They gathered themselves up, and soon, the hall was empty. Lilla pushed her fists onto a table, taking deep breaths. You watched her a bit concerned. A long moment of silence passed between the two of you.

            “… I'm keeping you by my side, (Y/N).” She finally said. She looked up at you, rubbing her cheeks with one hand. “As confident as I try to fight, this may be a losing battle.”

            You watched Lilla move about, unsure of what to tell her. You didn’t like being stuck in the middle of a conflict, but it seemed you’ve been there since you came to London. “It’ll work out.” You chose to say. Lilla snorted and shook her head.

            “Ever the optimist.” She muttered. She walked up to you, the nervousness she had showing with her fingers ever so slightly twitching. “Listen, (Y/N), in the event of my death,” You winced slightly at the idea of Lilla possibly dying. “I want you to consider staying with the Blighters. I’m positive Roth and Starrick will be more than happy to have your assistance.”

            “…You’re already so sure that you’re going to die.” You whispered softly. Laila gave a bitter laugh.

            “I’d rather be safe than sorry, unfortunately.” Lilla bit out. “It’s just how it is in the underworld. You never know what day will be your last.” You took Lilla’s hand.

            “Okay, but in return, you have to fight till the end.”

            Lilla’s face softened, she lightly smacked your forehead. “That’s a given.” Her face became a face a frustration not even a minute later. “More people are joining these Rooks. Those twins probably best me when it comes to manpower.”

            “Why haven’t you done the same?”

            Her face hardened as she sent a glare your way. “Unless those spineless fools, I am loyal to Maxwell Roth.” Your eyes met her unwavering ones, and you couldn’t help but allow a small grin to appear on your lips.

            “…I very much like you.” You said. Lilla almost rolled her eyes.

            “Winning your favor won’t exactly keep me alive.” She said. The two of you left the building where the Blighters usually meet up to walk down the street. The sky had grown grey, and you figured it would rain soon. “The Frye twins have interfered with everything we Blighters have built.”

            “More than likely, they’re trying to eradicate the presence of the Blighters.” You suggested. “It’s not as if everyone agrees with the way you all choose to run the streets the London.”

            “I’m just going to assume that this is just your usual rambling,” Lilla said. “Because there is no way, as long as I am breathing, that I’m allowing the end of the Blighters to happen.” The rain was heavy and long as you followed Lilla around to help reinforce her areas of interest, but it was no use. The twins wasted no time to bring it all down with what seemed like barely any effort.

            The stress was taking its toll of Lilla. You found her one night in the parlor, sitting on the ground while leaning against a couch with a bottle of liquor. In her other hand, a cigar sat that she had yet to light.

            “Are you all right?” You asked as you joined her on the ground. Lilla looked at you, clearly drunk, and pushed a piece of paper towards you. You took it in your hands and read over it. You paused and read it again before meeting Lilla’s gaze. “Is this a request for a gang war?” Lilla scoffed and clumsily snatched the paper away. She stared at it herself for a while.

            “Octavia and Nora are fucking dead.” She growled. She crumpled up the paper and threw it in the fireplace. “Even fucking Edith is dead, the fucking mental twat.” Lilla opened her arms dramatically. “And I’m all that’s left. Hooray for me being saved for fucking last.” 

            You watched as she downed half the bottle of alcohol. She gripped the bottle tightly. “Well, this isn’t exactly going to help you be ready for them.” Lilla looked back over at you. She pointed at you as best her current motor functions would allow.

            “I’m bringing all of my best people, including you. Together, with our skills, we can bring down these fucking Frye twins.” She announced. “They won’t know what hit them when we come out tomorrow.” You pursed your lips at the thought of having to step in front of Evie and Jacob as a Blighter.

            “I’d rather not participate in the fight tomorrow, Lilla.”

            Lilla looked over at you and stared as if you told her you were carrying the plague. “You’re a Blighter now, (Y/N). You have to, no negotiations.” She shook her head and finished the bottle only to have another one appear from under her chair. You made a face as she opened it up.

            “If you’re going to fight tomorrow, perhaps you should give drinking a rest for the night.” You said, attempting to take the bottle from her. She pulled away and held the bottle tight.

            “No way in hell.” She grumbled. You sigh and shift closer to her. Lilla circled the rim of the bottle with her finger. “Did you ever manage to find your friends?” She asked, breaking the silence.

            You watched the flames dance in the fireplace, thinking about how to answer her. “Yes.” You decided. “However, I’m a bit nervous to meet with them. I’m not exactly a face they’re expecting to see in London.”

            “I’m not sure I follow,” Lilla said.

            “Ah, I never told you the details. They ran away to London, you see. A family friend asked me to just keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t get into trouble. I was reluctant at first, but London has offered many new faces and experiences.” You explained. Lilla nodded softly and soon, she grew very quiet except for the soft snores coming from her. You returned your gaze back to the fireplace. “You know Lilla, I’m very curious as to what you think is worth saving by staying with the Blighters.” You muttered to yourself.

            If you were being honest, you didn’t want to separate yourself from Crawford. He was probably one of the best parts about coming to London. You leaned against Lilla with a sigh. You were worried about what tomorrow would bring.

            You and Lilla remained by the fireplace, you lost in thought and she lost in sleep. Time passed before you finally got up and put out the fireplace before carrying Lilla up to her room. You took off her shoes and put her underneath her sheets before moving off to your room. You changed and climbed into bed, feeling your body relax and sink into the sheets.

            You blinked slowly while staring at the wall before your eyes finally decided to close.

            “(Y/N).”

            Lilla’s shadow blocked the morning sun as it entered through your window. You could’ve sworn you had just closed your eyes. You looked at Lilla, still lying in your bed with no intention of moving. She held folded clothes in her hands.

            “I’ve brought you a new uniform.” She rested it on top of your dresser. “It’s time to get serious.”

            “You didn’t have to accept the gang war.” You stated bluntly. Lilla looked back at you with a serious face.

            “Only a coward would decline.”

            “A coward does get to fight another day.” You countered. Lilla shook her head and went towards the door.

            “Stop trying to convince me otherwise, (Y/N). Now, get ready. We have work to do.” You watched Lilla leave the room. After a moment, you finally pulled yourself from your bed, grabbing the uniform, and going into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha can't wait to see how Jacob will react (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ


	5. The Gang War

            The sky was bleak as everyone gathered for the fight. You stood amongst the other Blighters as Lilla discussed the parameters of the fight with the twins. You had to beg her to not bring you along for the discussion. The two of them would not be happy to see you right now.

            Lilla marched back over to us with an annoyed look on her face. She pointed her finger towards the ground. “We are going to stop those twins, right here on my turf.” She declared. She looked at all of her men. “They are going to destroy all of London and us as well! I am sick of them having their way! They killed our comrades! Let’s return the favor!” The Blighters grew rowdy, ready to fight the Rooks. Lilla pointed at you. “(Y/N), tonight we will enjoy ourselves.” You nodded your head nervously. She punched her fist in the air. “Fight!” The Blighters charged forward, pumped up from the speech and ready to win.

            The Rooks and the Blighters began their fight. You came to a decision and grabbed Lilla’s hand before she had the chance to get in the fight as well. Her head swerved back to you.

            “What?!”

            “Escape with me!” You pleaded. Lilla looked at you in shock.

            “Have you gone insane?!” She shouted.

            You gave a weak chuckle and shook your head. “I’ve never been saner than now.” You gestured to the fighting. “This is not worth losing your life over!” Rain began to pour down on the city. Lilla ripped her arm away from you.

            “This is all I have!” She boomed desperately.

            “You have me!” You yelled back. Lilla looked at you surprised, her shoulders sagging slightly as her anger calmed. “You…have me.” You repeated. Lilla stared at the ground before looking at you with a glare. She grabbed you by the shirt and pulled you in close.

            “You’re a Blighter too, (Y/N).” She pushed you out of the way, and you fell to the ground with a thud. “I’m going to end this.” You scampered to your feet to try and convince her again, but she had disappeared amongst the fighting.

            You pushed your way through the crowd, silently wishing that Lilla wasn’t so brazen. You had to focus and dodge a Rook that tried to attack you with a knife. You shifted back and dodged the blade. The Rook charged at you, and you aimed for his legs, knocking him to the ground.

            You had to dodge more Rooks as you searched for Lilla. You didn’t want to hurt anyone. You aimed to immobilize them, twisting their arms and aiming to push them to the ground in order to give you enough time to get away. The rain was making it hard for you to see your way around. You finally broke through to the middle of the crowd and watching in horror to see Jacob cut down Lilla.

            “Lilla!” You screamed. “No!” Jacob’s head turned in your direction and surprise covered his face.

            “(Y/N)?” Evie looked at you with confusion. “Why are you here?” You ignored the two of them and rushed to Lilla’s side. You dropped to your knees by her side. She had her hand pressed just below her chest where blood was seeping out.

            “No, no, no.” You repeated as you took off your coat and tore a piece of Lilla’s coat. “You’re lying down, so you’re stabilized.” You placed your coat underneath her head. “You’re going to be okay.” You moved her hand and placed the cloth on top of the wound while putting pressure down.

            The fighting died down as you fretted over a dying Lilla. She chuckled, choking up blood. You looked at her, almost in tears. “It’s too late.” She said. She was breathing hard. “Maybe I should’ve run away with you. Damn this hurts.”

            “It’s only too late when you say it is.” You see the blood seeping through the cloth. “We need to get you to the hospital.” You didn’t say anything as Lilla grew quiet. You continued putting pressure on the wound. Jacob suddenly reached down, and he pulled you away from Lilla’s body.

            “Why are you here?” He asked.

            “Let go.” You begged as you tried to get back to Lilla.

            “She’s dead!” Jacob said. “Why are you a damn Blighter?” You turned to him and tried fruitlessly to push him away. He sighed and pushed you towards Rooks that held you in place. “Hold her in place.” He instructed. You watched through the rain as Jacob and Evie took over Lilla’s Blighters, making them Rooks.

            The Rooks that held you carried you to a carriage where they had you wait. They locked you inside, and you sat in absolute silence. Your eyes drifted down to the blood that was on your hands and pants. Hot tears blocked your vision and dripped onto your hands as you finally let them fall. You cried hard and felt your breathing become harder to catch. You gripped your chest as you began to hyperventilate. You couldn’t get your breathing back in check and cried harder.

            Suddenly, a warm body embraced you. Your senses were slowly taken over by Jacob. “Breathe.” You heard Jacob say. “Everything is all right.” You swallowed the lump in your throat hard and exhaled loudly as your breathing slowed. You buried your face in his chest, holding him tightly.

            “…Lilla was my friend.” You muttered quietly. Jacob ran his hand through your hair as the carriage moved forward. You pushed away from him and saw Evie sitting across from the two of you. “You killed my friend.” Jacob’s face softened towards you.

            “I’m sorry.” He said. “But why are you here in London?” He wiped the tears from your eyes.

            “George asked me to come to make sure the two of you didn’t get yourselves killed.” You answered. Evie raised an eyebrow.

            “And he sent you? Not to be rude towards you, but I wouldn’t think to send you to a fight.” She said.

            “My thoughts exactly.” You agreed. “It’s because I’m a friendly face.” You looked at them. “I have to get back to Lilla’s house.” You said suddenly. Jacob looked at you flabbergasted.

            “I’m not letting you go anywhere now that I know you’re in London,” Jacob replied. “You’re not leaving my side.” You shifted away from him.

            “That’s not your decision to make.”

            “You could get in trouble without me!” Jacob argued. “You already got mixed up with the Blighters. Who knows what else you could get involved in?!”

            “I am not a child.” You snapped back.

            “You’re not an assassin that is trained for field work. You’re not an assassin at all.” He said sternly. You looked at him in disbelief then turned away from him, done with the conversation. He sighed and looked at Evie. They take you back to a train that they’ve been using as a hideout.

            “(Y/N), it’s safer here.” Evie insisted. Jacob took hold of your face, inspecting you for injuries. You glared up at him, and he only kissed your forehead.

            “Don’t be so stubborn.” He said softly. You stood and looked at him. “What is it?”

            “…I’m not some weakling who always needs to be protected.” You caught him off guard, pushing him out of the way and opening the door of the train car. You watched the train move and jumped off of a bridge that the train was passing over.

            You landed clumsily, falling on all fours before pushing yourself up and continuing to run. Faintly, you could hear Jacob calling after you. You didn’t stop running until you found somewhere to hide. You hunched over, hands on your knees as you tried to catch your breath with the rain pouring on you. You stared at the wall in front of you, breathing hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dramaaaa (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻  
> And that's the end of Lilla ಠ_ಥ


	6. Where We Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feeling a little bleh this weekend from all these projects so only one update for the weekend ┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ)

            You jerked awake, eyes flying open as you heard someone pounding on the door. You shifted in your bedsheets before sitting up.

            “It’s too early for the noise.” You muttered as you swung your legs out of the bed. Last night was a bit of a blur. You couldn’t recall how you got home. You didn’t exactly look your best, hair lopsided and eyes red and puffy from crying. The sun was already in the air, signaling that it was already midday. You shuffled downstairs, annoyed at the insistent pounding. You swung open the door to a bright street, and you squinted. “What?!”

            Crawford suddenly walked in and embraced you, making you stumble back a bit. “Thank God you’re alive.” He breathed into your hair. You took a moment to gather yourself before tilting your head up at him.

            “What are you doing here?” You asked confused. Crawford looked at you bewildered.

            “I learned of Lilla’s death, and I was concerned for you.” He answered. He took a step back. “Some of my men said that you were taken by those Frye twins. I feared for your life. I was only alerted not long ago to the situation and have been searching all of London for you. I never thought you’d be here.” You tilted your head as you noticed how winded Crawford looked. You held his face and smiled softly.

            “I escaped. I’m fine now, Crawford.” You assured him. He didn’t look convinced, running his thumb underneath one of your eyes.

            “You don’t look fine. Have you been crying?”

            You shrugged with one shoulder and looked away from him. “I took Lilla’s death pretty hard. Crawford sighed and kissed your forehead.

            “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. It just caught me off guard. I thought I could save her, but it looks like my life-saving skills need work.” You explained. Crawford held your shoulders tightly.

            “I want you to come stay with me.” He said sternly. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. If those two vile individuals already tried to take you once, then it is not inconceivable that they will attempt it again.” You raised an eyebrow at Crawford.

            “I sincerely doubt those two intend to do me any harm.”

            “I don’t want to take any risks. Go get dressed and we’ll go.” He didn’t seem interested in arguing with you and stepped out of the house to talk to his men. You quickly went upstairs and got ready for the day. Crawford’s men came in and began bringing things out to place on a cart. Your eyes drifted down to the armband on them.

            Immediately, you recognized it as the Templar sigil. You covered your mouth as you slowly remembered where you had heard Crawford’s name from. You looked at the man as he instructed his people about. “Grand Master Crawford Starrick.” You whispered softly. It dawned on you that you may very well be in danger, especially if he finds out that you associate with Assassins. Crawford stepped towards you, and you unconsciously took a step back away from him which he noticed. He raised an eyebrow towards you, and then he saw how pale your face had become.

            “Are you all right?” He asked concerned. You looked at him and slowly shook your head.           

            “…I really don’t think I should go with you.” You stated with unease. Crawford placed his hand out for you to take.

            “You’re safe with me, (Y/N). I swear it.” He promised. You looked at his hand, wondering if he knew who you were. You placed your hand in his, and you closed his hand around yours. Crawford brought you to the carriage, kissing your hand. “I’ll keep you safe.” You looked up at him, and if you were being honest with yourself, you couldn’t fathom that he was the one the assassins are after.

            He opened the carriage door, and as you stepped in, you noticed Jacob standing around a corner. He gave you a look of disbelief, and you turned away from him as you got seated. Jacob was going to be angry. You shook your head knowing that you were not someone that needed to be watched over the way he does.

            Crawford joined you in the carriage, and the driver headed off. You glanced at the corner where Jacob was and saw that he was no longer there. You scrunched your eyebrows, a bit worried about what he would do.

            “…Crawford,” You began, not looking away from the window. He looked up from his planner to look at you. “Why do you, as a reputable businessman, employ thugs and gang members?” Crawford closed his planner, focusing his full attention on you.

            “I do what I must to keep London in control.” He replied. You finally turned your head to meet his eyes with a raised eyebrow.

            “A lot of tyrants tend to say that.” You mentioned. Crawford huffed a laugh.

            “I’m the farthest thing from a tyrant.”

            “They typically say that as well.” You leaned forward in your seat. “You’re doing a poor job of trying to convince me otherwise,” Crawford smirked.

            “How can I gain your trust?”

            “My trust is not easily earned.”

            Crawford took your hand and kissed your palm. “I’ll have to work hard then.” He teased. You finally relaxed a bit and smiled at him.

            It wasn’t long before the carriage slowed to a stop in front of a massive manor. Crawford helped you out of the carriage, and you stared at the manor in awe. Your attention was soon grabbed by the amount of Templar security that was around the place. The feeling of dread rose within you about what would happen if you were to be found in such a place. Just being kicked out of the Creed wouldn’t suffice you assumed.

            You trailed behind Crawford as he headed inside. The inside of the manor was just as impressive. You looked around, fascinated by the architecture and paintings that were inside. Your eyes fell on a woman who seemed to be waiting on the two of you. She was rather pretty, and her dress was lovely. Crawford pressed his hand against your lower back, urging you forward for introductions.

            “(Y/N), this is my dear cousin, Pearl. Pearl, this is my (Y/N).” He introduced. Your eyes flickered towards him at the use of “my” towards you. It wasn’t a bad feeling though. Pearl smiled at you and tilted her head down as a greeting. “(Y/N), I’m sorry to be leaving you so abruptly, but I do need to return to work.” You placed your hands up, flustered.

            “Please, don’t worry about me! You’ve already done more than enough. If anything, I’m sorry my presence distracted you from work. I understand that it’s the most important thing for you, and I wouldn’t want to get in the way. I –.”

            “It’s fine.” Crawford interrupted. “Your safety is my priority.” He kissed your hair gently and looked at Pearl. “My cousin will look after you.” His eyes softened towards you. “I’m truly happy you were unharmed.” You played with your fingers as you felt your face heat up. Crawford excused himself and left the manor. Pearl watched you amused until you caught on that she was looking at you.

            “…My cousin has chosen an unconventional partner for himself. How interesting.” She said, observing you.

            “Unconventional is very popular nowadays.” You replied. You shrugged one shoulder. “Sticking to social norms is a bore.” Pearl looked at your surprised before laughing.

            “So interesting. Let me show you your room.” You followed Pearl up to the second floor. “By the way, what did Mr. Frye do to you? I heard you were kidnapped.” You paused in your steps for a moment.

            “He only tried to take me away. I’m not sure why though.” You lied. Pearl looked back at you.

            “Don’t tell Crawford, but I’ve been working with Mr. Frye as of late.” You looked at her smirk. “He’s a charming man.” Your eye twitched a bit.

            “…Are you interested in him?”

            Pearl thought for a moment. “He would make an excellent gentleman to keep her entertained, yes, but the two of us work on opposing sides. Such a shame.”

            You quietly wondered how close she and Jacob had become, cause a deep frown to fall on your face. Jacob was busy nagging you about your associations, but he was off doing the exact same thing as you. By the time you arrived at your room, you were seething with a mixture of anger and annoyance.

            “By the way,” Pearl started, bring you from your thoughts. “I’m not aware of where you come from.”           

            “The countryside.” You answered vaguely. She crossed her arms.

            “Hmm, there’s much work to be done then if you’re going to stand by Crawford’s side.” You looked at her, ready to ask her what she meant by that, but she placed her hand up and pushed you into the room. “I have work to attend to, so please do your best to not cause any worries.”

            “Ah, oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.” You replied. She smiled.

            “You did nothing of the sort. Crawford will probably return in the evening.” She waved as she left you alone in the large room. You thought that Lilla had big rooms, but her rooms could be a closet in comparison to the size of the bedroom you were standing in. You explored for a bit, looking at the size of everything before you started unpacking.

            The window suddenly opened, sending in a breeze that made you shield your eyes. When you could finally look, you broke out into a cold sweat when you saw how angry Jacob looked. You stood, taking a step back as he menacingly approached you. He backed you up to a wall, slamming his hand on the wall right next to your face. He leaned in close to you with a low growl.

            “Have you been having fun?”


	7. Guest of Honor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

            Jacob felt massive towering over you angry. His frown deepened. “You seem to be enjoying yourself. Getting friendly with Crawford Starrick.” He accused. “Do you know he’s a Templar, our enemy?”

            You avoided his eyes, focusing on the buttons of his coat. “If we’re being technically correct, then he’s not my enemy, he’s the Brotherhood's.” You corrected as you slipped out from being pinned on the wall. Jacob stalked after you. You backed up to the couch, losing your balance and falling onto it.

            “That better not be a betrayal I’m hearing from you.” Jacob threatened. You looked at him before feeling yourself flare up in anger. You pushed yourself back up and poked his chest furiously.

            “Jacob, you’re the last person I want to hear that from!” You argued. You squinted your eyes. “You sure didn’t waste any time cozying up to Miss Attaway.” You moved him out of your way and paced the room, gripping your head. “You are so full of yourself, you know that?” You faced him and began to dance around the room, mocking him. “Oh, hey, I’m the strong and charismatic Jacob Frye.” You taunted with a deep voice. You pretended to flip your hair. “My good looks and bad boy persona will be what makes your knees weak.”

            “I don’t –.”

            You interrupted him before he could continue. “That won’t work on me!” You cheered loudly. You peeked at him from over your shoulder. “Do you know that your lovely Pearl is a Templar? Did you miss that fact? Plus, she’s Crawford’s cousin. A certified Assassin, and yet you missed that tiny detail about her.” You turned to fully face him with a smug look on your face. “Mr. Frye is not all that amazing.”

            Before you could react, Jacob stepped towards you, taking your face in his hands and pressing his lips against yours. Your eyes widened in surprise, and you felt yourself leaning towards his soft lips. His right hand drifted to rest on your waist which snapped you out of your daze. You broke apart from him and wiped your mouth.

            “I won’t fall for that!” You snapped. He pulled you close to him, connecting with your lips again while slipping his tongue in your mouth. You suddenly lost your ability to breathe when Jacob angled your head in order to deepen the kiss. You felt your eyes flutter shut.

            “Could you just be quiet for a moment?” He muttered softly as licked your lips.

            He hiked up your leg, making you lose balance. You were forced to wrap your arms around his neck as he lied you on the couch, lips never leaving yours. You sighed against his lips and held his face as you enjoyed the kiss. When the two of you finally broke apart after exploring each other’s mouths, you looked completely debauched. Jacob licked his lips at he looked down at you before sighing slightly.

            “I didn’t know Pearl was a Templar until last night.” Jacob admitted. You tilted your head to the side as you looked up at him. “I’m going to kill her tonight. So, there’s no need to be jealous.” You blinked at his word choice then scoffed.

            “Jealous?!” You exclaimed in disbelief. “Might I remind you how you have reacted when I tried to move past you with all my previous attempts at love!?” You crossed your arms with a huff. “In fact, you’re doing it right now!” Your expression turned to a smug one, and you laughed haughtily. “If you’re in love with me, might as well say it and not do these things in such a roundabout way.”

            Jacob stared at you momentarily before picking you up with ease, throwing you over his shoulder. You flailed baffled as you held onto the back of his coat as he carried you.

            “Are you kidnapping me!?” You asked baffled. He tossed you onto the bed, and you bounced with a grunt. “What are you doing?” Jacob ignored you, pulling off your pants and underwear in one fell swoop. You felt your face heat, and you shifted your shirt down to cover yourself. You glanced up at him as the embarrassment came over your face. It had been years since you were last naked in front of Jacob. “There was nothing I said that established a mood like this.”

            “Your face was all I needed.” He answered. You were about to ask him what the hell that meant but he cut all thoughts out of your mouth by kissing you as he climbed on top.

            “You can’t weasel your way out of this argument, Jacob!” You argued though you made no move to push him off of you. Jacob teased the side of your neck with his teeth, making you jerk.

            “Okay,” He muttered, not moving his head. He finally came up and showed you a dark smile, making your body tremble. You weren’t sure if it was from fear or the growing arousal in you. “You’re complaining about Miss Attaway, but (Y/N), I’m not living with her, am I?” You made a face.

            “The only reason my living situation has changed is that a certain person killed Lilla who was providing me lodging.” You said with a raised eyebrow.

            “I’ve already apologized for that, (Y/N).” He insisted. “But Crawford was the man who had almost all of the London Brotherhood eliminated. He’s not the kind of person you should be with.”

            “Are you any better?” You questioned. He shrugged.

            “You might be right about that.” He moved to kiss you again. You kissed him back only to yelp you felt his fingers glide between your soaked folds, not pushing in, only teasing. “It’s okay.” He muttered softly in your ear. He rearranged the two of you. He lied back on the bed with you seated in between his legs.

            His fingers rubbed over your clit, and you bit your lip to hold back your moan. Jacob slipped one finger inside you, curling it inside to hit the spot that sent a tremble through your body. You hunched over when he pushed in a second finger, feeling your breath quicken as he took his time, slowly thrusting his fingers inside. He made you lie back against his chest.

            Jacob kissed the side of your head as he watched you come undone. He used his free hand to send one of your legs over his own, exposing you more for him to enjoy. You reached your hand back, running it through Jacob’s hair as you finally moaned in pleasure as a third finger slipped in. It had a slight burn to it, but you loved it.

            “You look gorgeous like this?” He said with a push of his fingers that sent you over the edge. He didn’t let you close your legs as your orgasm hit you. You gripped his shirt as you moaned. His fingers slipped out of you, gently and playfully massaging your clit. You took the moment to catch your breath. Jacob smiled against your neck and pushed back inside.

            “Fuck!” You cried as he wasted no time to push all three fingers back inside. You felt yourself angling your hips up so he could hit your sweet spot.

            “Touch yourself,” Jacob instructed. You didn’t hesitate to move your hand to your clit, moving in tandem with Jacob’s finger.

            You felt the pressure build up in you again. Your fingers moved faster as your second orgasm hit. Jacob kissed you deeply as your whole body quivered from the orgasm. You kissed him back feverishly as his fingers continued to work quickly towards your third.

            When it hit, you slumped down in Jacob’s lap, dazed and well sated. Jacob slowly slipped his fingers out, slowly licking your essence off each one. You watched him do it sluggishly. “I’m going to bring you back with me.” He said simply. He kissed your forehead as you tried to calm your ragged breathing down.

            You closed your eyes momentarily so you could gather yourself before speaking. “…I’m not going anywhere.” Jacob looked at you in shock as you shifted out of the bed, putting your pants back on.

            “I’d like to avoid taking you by force.” He said slowly. You looked at him.

            “If you do, I’ll scream and alert everyone guarding this house.” You replied. He got off the bed and held your cheeks.

            “And I’d kill them all.” The look on Jacob’s face meant he was serious, but you had already made up your mind. You stepped away from him.

            “You’re not making this easy for me.” You muttered. You looked at him dead in the eyes. “Being a Templar doesn’t sound so bad.”

            “(Y/N)…” Jacob said lowly as a warning. You lifted one shoulder up.

            “I wouldn’t have to hide in the shadows.” You motioned to the house. “Plus, having such a big house like this doesn’t seem so bad.”

            “You’ve gone mad.” Jacob deadpanned. “That’s the only explanation as to what I am hearing you say right now.” You walked towards the door, placing your hand on the handle.

            “I don’t want to see you here when I return.” You quickly left the room before Jacob could stop you. You stared at the door, trying to contain yourself before you hurried to the kitchen where you saw the staff moving about. They smiled at you.

            “Miss (Y/L/N), are you hungry?” A woman asked. You smiled softly back at them.

            “Yes. A meal would be nice.” The woman chuckled.

            “All right, just wait in the den. I’ll fetch you when your meal is ready.”

            You nodded your head a bit and went to the den. It was just as extravagant as the rest of the house. You plopped down onto the couch, placing your face in your hands before sighing loudly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao that could've gone better ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	8. Decisions, Decisions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao I'm back  
> Ummm yeah, I was busy with art projects and didn't wanna write  
> But, I am back, and I'll be updating again tomorrow  
> The story isn't dropped! ^.^

            It wasn’t until the following night that you saw Crawford again. He slumped into your room as you were getting ready to climb into bed. He pulls you into a tight hug with no words uttered.

            “What’s wrong, Crawford?” You asked, unsure of what else to say. He didn’t say anything for a long moment.

            “…They killed my beloved Pearl.” He answered at last. You stiffened slightly, remembering what Jacob had told you. He had mentioned that he was going after Pearl, but you were too annoyed to care at the moment. Guilt panged in your chest at what your inactivity caused. You rubbed Crawford’s back soothingly.

            “My condolences for your loss.” You said softly, hugging him back.

            “I thought she was being reckless. I told her it was not wise to interact with that filthy Jacob Frye.” You felt a twinge of guilt that you let your jealousy overcome your better judgment. You knew you should’ve stopped Jacob. Crawford to a step away from you and cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to come in unannounced. I apologize. It’s unseemly.”

            You face softened towards him as you reach out for his hands. “A member of your family has just been killed. You have every right to be unseemly right now.” Crawford sighed exhaustedly. You gave him a quick smile before leading him downstairs to the kitchen. You sat him in a chair then went about the kitchen, getting tea ready for him to drink.

            You finished making the tea and set the mug down in front of him. Crawford looked at you thankful before taking the mug. There was a comfortable silence between the two of you as you watched Crawford finish his tea.

            “Curse those Frye twins.” He muttered, breaking the silence. You took a deep breath and tried to move his thoughts elsewhere.

            “Will you need help with funeral arrangements?”

            “No,” He replied, shaking his head. “I’ll take care of that.” He looked at you. “I just hope that you’ll join me at the funeral.”

            You reached out and took Crawford’s hand gently. He held onto your hand as well. “I’m here for you.” Crawford smiled and inched closer to you.

            “You’re a lovely person, (Y/N).” He said as he stole a kiss from you. It caught you off guard, but you recovered quickly enough to return the kiss. It only lasted a few moments before you pulled back to smile at him.

            “Pearl was amazing.” You told him. “You’ll be okay.” Crawford stood from his seat.

            “I don’t want to think about her right now.” He said pulling you into another, this one more passionate. You held onto his shirt as you two spent the next few minutes exploring each other’s mouths. His kisses were different from Jacob. While Jacob always made your knees weak, Crawford’s own were slower and controlled. It was still a bit overwhelming though. Crawford took you by surprise as he lifted you up princess style.

            He carried you up the stairs and into his bedroom which was significantly bigger than yours. You wondered what rich people needed all this space for. Crawford placed you on the bed gently, continuing from where the two of you left off.

            “Is this all right?” He asked softly. For a moment, your mind flickered to Jacob. You closed your eyes as you removed him from your thoughts.

            “Go ahead.” You said, opening your arms to Crawford. You held him close as your lips met once again. The two of you spent the next few minutes exploring each other’s mouths while Crawford’s hands roamed your body. He removed his shirt before doing the same to you.

            When your bodies pressed against each other, you felt that his body was much warmer than yours. He pressed his face into your breasts, kneading the flesh while teasing your nipples. You exhaled softly as your voice caught when he placed one breath in his mouth. You carded your fingers through his hair, running your other hand down his back.

            Crawford was eager to have you completely naked in his embrace. He smiled down when he saw how wet you were after removing your pants. He ran two fingers down your slit, coating them with your juices before slowly pushing his fingers inside.

            You shuddered as he curled his fingers into you. He pulled out and smeared your essence onto his hardened member, pumping it a few times before lining himself up with your entrance. Crawford pushed inside of you slowly, and you exhaled softly at the feeling of him inside you.

            He held your hand as he set a slow rhythm, moving in and out of you. Your breath became ragged as he sped up in his pace. He sat up straight, pushing your legs back, so he could push inside you with ease.

            You moaned when Crawford bit the side of your leg while massaging your clit in tandem with his thrusts. You rolled your hips to meet each thrust, allowing for the two of you to attain maximum pleasure. Your head fell back, and you stared up at the ceiling.

            Your mind drifted back to Jacob, and you shook your head. You moved to sit up as you kissed Crawford deeply. He gripped your thighs as he bounced you up and down on him.

            “I want to hear your voice.” Crawford murmured softly into your ear. You didn’t bother holding back your gasps and moans. There were quiet whispers of you two saying one another’s names as you moved to attain your orgasms.

            You tightened your hold on him as his thrust became more erratic. He kissed you roughly. When the two of you climaxed, it was quiet but intense. You moaned, and Crawford grunted as he filled you. The two of you clung to each other as you both came down from your highs.

            Crawford slowly pulled out then arranged the two of you so you could use his arm as a pillow. He kissed the back of your neck as he pressed your back against his chest. Crawford sighed softly as he grew heavy with sleep. You stared at the wall as you listened to his breathing grow soft, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

            You shifted closer to him as the thought of Jacob entered your mind. This was getting complicated in ways you didn’t want it to. You looked down at Crawford’s hand that was wrapped around your waste. You tangled your own fingers in his as you closed your eyes, trying to forget Jacob.

            “It’s all right…” You murmured to yourself. “It’s all right…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, super short chapter  
> I haven't felt the urge the write smut so this was a struggle ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	9. Prove Your Worth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the hardest thing to do is come up with chapter titles (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

            The next time you saw one of the Frye twins, it was Evie. She found you wandering about the city one afternoon.

            “Have you abandoned the Brotherhood?!” She asked immediately cutting to the chase. You looked at her startled before taking a step back.

            “…I’ve done nothing of the sort.” You replied quietly. Evie looked at you both unconvinced and exhausted.

            “If what you’re saying is true, join me on an assassin’s mission.” She requested.

            “I don’t know if you remember or not, but I am quite bad at free running.” You reminded her. Evie chuckled and whistled for some men to bring her a carriage.

            “That’s why we’ll take a carriage.” Evie helped you get on, and together, the two of you rode to Southwark. “(Y/N), what happened when my brother went looking for you?” Evie inquired as the carriage rode along. “He came back very disgruntled.”

            You resisted the urge to roll your eyes, choosing to sigh instead. “He’s just upset that he no longer has an influence on my actions.”

            “How long have we known each other, hmm? I know that’s not all there is to the story.” When you refused to answer, Evie only shook her head. “The two of you should just admit you love each other already.”

            You swerved your head to look at Evie. “Love? No way!” You quickly dismissed. “I don’t view Jacob as a romantic partner, and neither does he! It’s all power for him.” You continued on. “He wants nothing but to have control over me. That’s why he treats me like…like such a child!” Evie glanced over at you. “He’s destroyed every relationship I’ve tried to have, but he will not ruin this one! I won’t let him!”

            “I get where you’re coming from, but this is one relationship that I have to side with Jacob about.” She replied. She stared out at the path in front of them. “Starrick is one of the tops of the Templar Order. He’s not a good man. Can you not do this drama with any other man?”

            “It doesn’t matter if one is an Assassin or a Templar.” You argued. “Besides, I’m technically not even a part of the Brotherhood, simply the offspring of two members.”   

            “It’s not that simple, (Y/N).”

            “The sad thing is that it really is that simple.” You pointed out. “I have no Assassin secrets to give Crawford. I don’t have the Eagle Eye, so you two should just leave me alone on the matter.” You insisted.

            “…Then what will you do when Jacob and I come to kill him?” Evie questioned. You grew quiet, staring at your hands as you thought for a minute.

            “There are more tactics to punishment than to outright kill a man.” You finally answered. “It seems everyone in London is obsessed with killing. I don’t think I’m wrong to assume that this is quite a problem.”

            “I think I’ve said it before, but you have a very naïve way of thinking, (Y/N).” Evie lectured. “I hope it doesn’t cause too much damage.” The two of you fell silent at that point. You wondered if your views were indeed naïve.

            The two of you arrived in Southwark by evening. You looked around and finally decided to ask Evie why exactly she brought you here.

            “I wanted to check on the area now that Miss Attaway’s omnibus company has shut down,” Evie explained as the two of you got off of the carriage. You followed Evie as she moved about the streets. She finally came to a stop in front of a building.

            You looked up at the wall and knew it wasn’t going to be an easy climb for you. It was at times like these that you really wished you were more of an athletic person. “You should go on ahead of me.” You told Evie. She looked back at you. You shrugged slightly. “I don’t want to slow you down. This is going to take me a while.”

            Evie chuckled and motioned towards her back. “Hold onto my back.”

            “I beg pardon?” You replied confused. Evie didn’t bother to explain, only taking your arms and wrapping them around her.

            “Hold on tight, all right?” You were still confused then watched as she aimed her gauntlet at the rooftop. A grapple shoots out from it, and before you know what’s happening, the two of you are flying into the air.

            You got up to the rooftop in mere seconds. You let go of Evie when you reached the rooftop, looking over the edge with a smile on your face.

            “That was amazing!” You said excitedly. Evie smiled at you a pulled a gauntlet from her coat. She attached it to you.

            “You’d make a wonderful Assassin if you weren’t so busy running around with Templars, but this will make getting around easier for you.” She explained. You gave a nervous chuckle.

            “Are you angry with my actions?”

            “I’m furious.” She replied sharply. You flinched at how angry she did in fact sound. Evie sighed and looked at you. “You’re still like my younger sister.” You’re about to say something when Evie stops you from doing so. Her attention is drawn to the other side of the building. You looked over the ledge and saw an altercation taking place. “That may be my current person of interest. Time to put your gauntlet to good use.”

            Evie hopped down easily while you used your grapple hook to rappel down. She landed quickly and tried to intervene. The man took the Blighter’s distraction from him to escape. The Blighters took chase after the man. You finally landed just as Evie pulled up another carriage.

            “Come on!” She shouted. You quickly got on the carriage, and Evie took off after the Blighters. The three carriages raced down the streets of Southwark. Evie rushed the horses, trying to get closer to the Blighter’s cart. When she did, she handed you a gun. “Take them out, (Y/N)?” You stared at the gun and gave a quick shake of your head.

            “I…I can’t kill anyone.” Evie looked at you. You met her gaze. “Don’t make me do it.”   

            “Are you going to let an innocent man die?!” Evie asked. You bit your lip as you continued to stare at the weapon. Evie approached the Blighter’s cart. “You’re going to have to make a decision, (Y/N)!” You slowly took the gun from Evie’s hand and aimed it at the Blighters. At the last second, you switched your aim to their axles, shooting them out and causing the cart to veer off course and crash. “(Y/N)…” Evie said exasperatedly.

            “I just had to stop the men from chasing, not kill them.” You pointed out as you aimed at another cart’s axles.

            “I’m just telling you now that I don’t appreciate your conclusion,” Evie said as you continued to shoot out axles.

            When all the men were taken care of, Evie got close to the carriage that her target was driving. The two of you climbed onto the roof of your carriage and jumped over to his where Evie took the reins from the man.


	10. Providing Assitance

            “Take deep breaths,” Evie instructed the man as she steered the cart. “They’re gone.”

            The man looked at you and Evie weary-eyed and shook his head. “Not for long. They’ll hurt my kids, they’ll…” He cut himself off with a sniffle, on the verge of breaking down.

            “Why are the Blighters after you?” You asked confused.

            “The city’s been turned upside-down since Attaway Transport and the Milner Company went belly up. With no one to fill their shows, the gangs made their move.”

            Evie huffed an annoyed sigh. “Well done, Jacob.” You looked at Evie surprised.

            “Jacob did this? Why? I thought it was only Pearl he was after. Who owned the Milner Company?” You asked quickly. Evie covered your mouth to stop you from talking.

            “I’ll inform you of all the cleanup I’ve had to do for my dear brother,” Evie promised as she looked at the man to continue explaining everything.

            “As Ed Bayley, the only omnibus builder in the city, they are demanding that I work for them. I know good men who want to form a united transport company.” He pondered for a minute. “What is it they say in America? ‘For the people, by the people’?” You nodded your head. He pointed at you. “That is our intention for the London General Omnibus Company. But those thugs got hold of the deed to Attaway Transport. We need it to begin our company.”

            Evie looked at you for a moment before looking back at Ed with a confident expression. “Mr. Bayley, I am Miss Frye, and this is Miss (Y/L/N). Consider us your allies to your cause.” Evie brought the carriage to an omnibus factory where Ed said the deed to Attaway Transport was being held. “Mr. Bayley,” Evie began as you and she got off the carriage. “If you could take yourself and the carriage a safe distance away, I would most appreciate it. We will get the deed for you.”

            He looked at Evie unsure, but he still did as she requested. You looked up at the building and the bleak sky. You figured that it wouldn’t be long before the rain started to come down.

            “Can you realize that these men are bad news yet, (Y/N)?” Evie asked as she stepped up to you. You moved your gaze to the ground and gave her now answer. “Oh, so now you have no words to utter.” She teased. You looked at Evie with a frown.

            “…I can probably get in there without having to kill anybody.” You told her. Evie smiled and took a step back.

            “By all means, I encourage you to try.” She said, with a hint of amusement in her voice. You swore it was something both twins had a habit of doing. You straightened your coat and walked forward. “He’s on the third floor.” She added before she disappeared into the crowd. You resisted the urge to scowl at her before stepping onto the factory grounds.

            “Oi!” A Blighter yelled as he approached you with others at his side. “Who are ya?” He demanded. You took a moment to clear your throat.

            “I’m (Y/N). I’m from Westminister. Well, I was with the Westminister group. It pretty much fell apart when the Frye twins got there.” You said. One Blighter stepped forward and pointed at you.

            “You were Lilla’s right hand!” He exclaimed. “I thought you were dead!” You relaxed a bit, thankful there was at least someone who recognized you.

            “No, I didn’t die.” You said with a shake of your head. “I just had to come to terms with Lilla’s untimely death.” He nodded his head in understanding.

            “Well, what are you doing here?” He asked.

            “I just wandered around and came across you guys. Can I explore for a bit?” The first Blighter looked at you.

            “…Sure, but just don’t touch anything, all right?” He motioned for everyone to move back to their positions. You walked around the building a couple of times, waiting for the shift change so that no one who recognized you would be around. You slipped inside of the building, making your way up to the third floor.

            You watched as the man who held the deed walked into a private room. You followed after him, going into the room. As soon as the man turned back to see who had followed him, you were standing close enough to deliver a blow to his jaw. You caught him before he could fall and cause a commotion. You huffed as you struggled to get him into a chair.

            “All right, where’s the deed?” You muttered softly as you checked his pockets and coat. You finally found it in his inner coat pocket. You silently say yes as you position the man to look as if he had fallen asleep at his desk.

            You stepped onto the ledge of the window and looked down.

            “This…this is crazy.” You said aloud as you blew out air. You looked at your gauntlet and wondered if you could do this. There was no patrol down below, so you took the chance to launch the grapple into the roof and rappel down. You gripped the rope tightly as you slowly went down the side the of the building.

            The ground beneath your feet was welcomed as you landed safely. You were about to jump over the wall when it really hit you that there were no guards patrolling. You stepped around the other side of the building and saw dead Blighters on the ground. You looked around confused.

            “Nice work.”

            Evie startled you, making you jump as she stood behind you. She appeared if out of nowhere. You gestured to the bodies.

            “Evie, I got the deed without killing anybody, so what is all of this?” You asked mad. She only shook her head, walking past you.

            “Let’s return the deed.”

            “Evie!” You yelled. She looked back at you.

            “The Blighters wouldn’t back off unless there was something to fear, okay? I’m keeping my promise to Mr. Bayley, so let’s go.” You gave her a look, but Evie ignored it and continued forward. The two of you returned to Mr. Bayley where he was standing with other men. Evie approached him with a smile. “I sent Roth’s men a message. You and your family are safe.”

            He smiled brightly. “You are bloomin’ brilliant!” He complimented. He gestured towards the men he was with. “The founding members of the London General Omnibus Company. Good. Moral me, all of them. We’ll have buses rolling before you know it.” He assured Evie. He looked at you two and was still grinning happily. “Thank you, Miss Frye, Miss (Y/L/N).”

            Evie shook his hand. “Our pleasure.” She replied. She and you parted with the men. You walked some distance till Evie turned to you with a serious face. You grimaced a bit at what you knew was coming. “I would like to dissuade you from returning to Starrick.” She began.

            “Jacob tried and failed. What makes your opinion so different?” You asked sharply. Evie pulled out her cane, and you looked at her startled.

            “Unlike Jacob, I’ll just use force from the beginning.” She replied. You took a step back and shook your head.

            “I’m leaving.”

            You reacted in time to dodge Evie’s blow with the cane, but she had already expected you to dodge. She kicked your thigh, throwing you off balance so that she could get you in the gut. You winced at the pain and stumbled back from her.

            “What the hell, Evie?”

            “I’m tired of hearing Jacob complain about you. And I don’t want to watch you get yourself killed.”

            You clenched your fists. Evie was far superior to you when it came to combat skill. Escape was the only option. When Evie moved again, you took care to watch her movements and dodge accordingly. You had to wait for your moment to escape.

            You found an opening on Evie and sent your foot into her chest. She took a step back, surprised, but recovered enough to swing her cane. You ducked underneath the cane, sliding across the ground and subtly taking a smoke bomb from her. Turning back, you released the timer and threw the smoke bomb to the ground.

            Evie coughed, taken off guard. You attacked her and knocked her to the ground, using the chance to escape from her.

            “Just leave me alone!” You yelled back as you disappeared onto the streets of London. In the back of your mind, you were aware that you could only keep running for so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~


	11. From Fantasy to Reality

            “What?”

            You stared at Crawford as he had come to a complete stop from what you had just said. Deciding to choose Crawford over the Brotherhood was basically a death sentence for you, but you couldn’t find yourself to care at that moment when you told him. You may not be very strong, but you were smart. If push came to shove, you could defend yourself against the Assassins and find ways for them to lose your trail.

            “I want to join the Templars.” You repeated slowly. Crawford took a moment to clear his throat and place his papers down on the table in front of him.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about (Y/N).” He said, choosing to feign ignorance with you. You sighed and stepped around his desk to stand in front of him.

            “My parents are Assassins.” You admitted. “I was raised around the Brotherhood.” You gestured towards him. “I know you’re the Grand Master.” When you saw Crawford’s expression darken and the corners of his lips dip, you quickly placed your hands up in surrender. “I’m not an assassin!” You cleared up immediately.

            “…Is that so?” He asked, his expression hardening by the second.

            “The training to become one was some I couldn’t handle, so I decided not to divulge into it.” You explained, staring him in the eyes so that he knew you were telling the truth. “I know the twins are interrupting your plans.” You touched your chest. “I will stop them only if you swear that you’re only trying to make London a better place.”

            Crawford’s face softened a bit as he thought for a moment. “…I was born and raised in London.” He began. “I want nothing more than to see London succeed.” You cautiously take hold of his hand.

            “You’ve become an important man in my life. I don’t want to see you die, Crawford.”

            “How can I trust you?” He asked.

            “Well…I do care for you deeply. It’s even reaching levels of love.” You replied. His eyes widened in surprise.

            “(Y/N)…” He muttered softly. “The last person who was important to me that was associated with an assassin ended up dead.” He reminded you. “Do you want me to go through that same trauma? I don’t want to plan your funeral, whether you fall to an assassin’s blade or my own.”

            You pursed your lips tightly. “I don’t kill without regard.”

            “I have no use for an assassin without a blade.” He replied, slipping his hand away from yours.

            “Being on the field isn’t my area of expertise, but I am quite the bookworm.” You explained. “I can help you find the Shroud, if not speed up the process of finding it.”

            “How do you know of that?”

            You smiled and crossed your arms over your chest confidently. “Reading is my forte.” Crawford seemed to have come to a decision, and he pulled you in close to him, kissing you deeply. You wrapped your arms around his neck with a small smile playing on your lips.

            “Don’t do anything too extreme.” He warned when the two of you broke apart. You caressed his face while looking into his eyes.

            “I won’t.” You promised.

            “Just to see how well you can do. I’ll introduce you to Miss Thorne, and the two of you can research together.” Crawford began. “I want you to also keep an eye out on Philip Twopenny, an associate of mine who works for the bank. He has slippery fingers, and I want him safe to do as he pleases.” You raised an eyebrow at Crawford, a bit confused by what he meant. “See what he’s up to.”

            “All right.”

            Crawford kissed you once again before allowing a small smile to come on his face. “Together, we will make London a powerhouse.” You grinned, and Crawford began to discuss parts of his business with you until he had to excuse himself to get some work done at his main office. “Don’t do too much.” He instructed while handing you a gold coin with his sigil on it. “It will give you leverage as you move about.”

            “Thank you.” You replied as you took it. You helped him put on his coat as you walked him to the door.

            “(Y/N), you’re my woman first, Templar second. If it’s too difficult, that’s all right.” Crawford reminded you as he kissed your forehead. You waved bye to him before returning to his office, looking through the papers he had left you on the Shroud. You continued to read for about an hour before standing and stretching.

            “I guess I’d better start at the police station.” You muttered to yourself. You quickly went up to your room, changing into better clothes for running about before you hit the streets of London. You headed towards the police stations.

            Suddenly, someone comes out of an alleyway before you could react, and you knocked into him. You stumbled back surprised.

            “I’m sorry!” The man said. “Are you all right?” You looked at the man’s overgrown sideburns which had grown to be half a beard. You nodded your head slightly.

            “I’m fine.” The sun reflected off of something on his waist, and you noticed his police badge. “You’re a copper?” You asked. He looked down at his badge.

            “Yes, my name is Sergeant Frederick Abberline.” He introduced.

            “(Y/F/N) (Y/L/N).” You responded, shaking his hand. “Is there anything suspicious happening with the Bank of London.” You asked, cutting to the chase. You thought the man might know something since he was a sergeant.

            “Who are you to ask?” He questioned, taking a bit of a defensive stance. You looked at him confused, and then you remembered you had Crawford’s sigil with you.

            “Ah, I’m here on behalf of Crawford Starrick.” You explained, showing the sigil to him. Frederick looked at the sigil then scoffed.

            “You’re a funny lady to imply that Crawford Starrick cares about London.”

            “I bed to differ.” You defended. “He promises to raise London up to new heights.” The man looked you up and down before shaking his head.

            “You looked like a smart girl, but I’m obviously incorrect in that assumption.” He replied sadly. He stepped towards you. “Miss (Y/L/N), allow me to open your eyes. Every class, every borough, and the industries belong to that man. Even some of my fellow officers. Now, tell me, does that sound like someone who is for the people?” You glanced down at your feet for a moment as you tried to come up with a rebuttal.

            “…It may…seem like that to outsiders,” You began. You turned your gaze up, back to Frederick. “However, I know that it’s for the good of the people if he works this way. You must understand that, Sergeant.”

            “You’re a fool.” He deadpanned. You were about to argue your case more when he put his hand up, stopping you from continuing. “What a shame. You’re just another one of his pawns to use until he no longer sees a use for you.” You hesitantly took a step back from the blow to your heart. Frederick waved you off, stepping past you. “I have no intention of helping you spread the poison of Crawford Starrick across London and in turn across the world.”

            He left you to stare into space in disbelief. You slunk into the alleyway, where you pace it, wondering if you were too rash in your decision. “I never really did think things through.” You berated yourself. You pushed your hair back and figured that there was no point in dwelling on the issue. “I trust him.” You whispered to yourself, deciding to continue your faith with Crawford even while a small feeling lingered in the back of your head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think the Reader has finally had her wake up call? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	12. For Now

            You sat in Crawford’s library with your head in your hands. You had been reading up on the Templar history from their side of the coin. Frederick’s word’s echoed through your mind as you continued to read.

            The day had been spent learning about their origins and past along with their idea of their new world order. The saw themselves as the only people who could guide people to what they believed was the perfect new world order, a utopia of sorts.

            “It’s not right…” You muttered to yourself. “It’s not right.”

            You were absorbed in their history when Lucy walked into the room. You didn’t even notice her until she dropped something down roughly on the table, making you jolt. You looked up at her and refrained from frowning.

            “Crawford said you were a research woman.” You looked down to see what she had in her hand. It looked like a key of sorts. “What does this key open?” You stared at it, taking a moment to recall reading it in one of the various books from the brotherhood.

            “I’m not sure what it opens, but it’s a symbol that belongs to the queen.” You answered slowly. “It’s something that would be on a casket or anything similar.” Lucy looked at the key then seemed to have a revelation of her own.

            “It’s at the Tower of London.” She whispered. She turned her attention back to you. “You should come along and see what it’s like to be a Templar in action.”

            You shook your head softly. “I’m more of an informant.” You told her, only making Lucy rolls her eyes.

            “If you want to stay in Crawford’s good favor, then you should bring him good results.” You bit your bottom lip as you thought, and then you reluctantly got up.

            “Excuse me. I need to go get changed.”

            Once you were done changing, you met Lucy in her carriage. Lucy spoke up when the carriage took off. “Do you know how to fight, Miss (Y/L/N)?”

            “I know how to defend myself.” You replied simply. Lucy chuckled.

            “Have you ever killed anyone?”

            You shook your head. “One shouldn’t take life so easily.” Lucy looked at you bemused for a moment before she suddenly drew a gun at you. She aimed it right between your eyes, and you stared down the barrel, shocked.

            “I’ve just threatened your life. Will you kill me now?” She asked calmly. You swallowed hard.

            “N-no, I would just aim to disarm you. I wouldn’t kill you.” You answered, almost stumbling on all of your words.

            “You’re a pacifist.”

            You sighed softly. “If that’s the conclusion you have come to, then so be it. I do not feel the need to explain why I function the way I do. The world is not black and white like everyone makes it out to be. There are more than two options in life.”

            Lucy smirked. “People like you either get many people killed or get themselves killed.” She looked you up and down. “Both options are likely a possibility for you.” You tightened your fists, not saying anything. Lucy slowly withdrew the gun. “No matter. Crawford asked me and Roth to keep your disposable life alive.” You clenched your teeth.

            “I don’t need protection.” You snapped. Lucy raised an eyebrow towards you with a look of skepticism.

            “I beg to differ.” She replied.  “Crawford had to recruit the most useless assassin into his ranks.”

            “I am not an assassin in regards to my physicality, but in regards to my mental ability.” You corrected.

            “Both are needed,” Lucy informed her. “The Order strives to better the condition of humanity. In that respect, only the best should be recruited.”

            “Is that true?” You asked innocently. “But as I recall, many members of the Order tend to have a short lifespan.” Lucy openly glared at you.

            “Remember your place.” She warned through clenched teeth. “I am above you.”

            “I am willing to listen to you, so long as you speak to me as your equal, not your lesser.” Lucy and you shared mean looks with one another. She left you alone for the remainder of the ride to the Tower of London. They go in through a not so noticeable entrance. When one of the Royal Guards approaches Lucy, she doesn’t even hesitate, slicing the man’s neck open. “What are you doing?!” You asked baffled. There was no helping the man, so you had to watch him die in agony. You glared at Lucy.

            “Poor you.” She teased with a frown. “Living in such an ignorant world.” The other Templars were quick to kill more guards and take their clothes. “Their deaths will help a greater cause.”

            “This is treason.” You reminded her. “Punishable by death.”

            “Only for as long as the queen rules,” Lucy said, putting an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach. “Come along.” Lucy brings you inside, and together, the two of you search for the Shroud well into the night.

            “This is the wrong place.” You concluded making Lucy groan.

            “I thought you were correct.” She looked at the papers on the desk. “There’s got to be a clue.” You pursed your lips, a bit on the fence about helping Lucy any further. You had already begun to suspect that the Shroud was where the queen herself was, at Buckingham Palace.

            Just as you were about to speak up, a guard comes in with Evie. The two of you made eye contact, but you looked away first.

            “I found her wandering inside the wall, Ma’am.” The guard explained. “Thought you’d want to speak with her.”

            Lucy turned to her with an unamused smile. “Welcome, Miss Frye. Do you care to tell me where the Shroud is?” Evie said nothing, and Lucy shook her head, looking at you. “Not surprising that all assassins are useless.” You flinched at her words. Lucy looked back at Evie. “As you wish, I shall find it without your help. And then I’ll strangle you with it.” She motioned her head at her guards. “Watch her closely.”

            Evie moved fast, attacking the guard. She threw him out of the way, aiming for Lucy. Lucy grabbed a candlestick and attempted to attack. Evie dodged the swing, slashing Lucy’s stomach before you the blade hidden in her can to stab Lucy in the back before you could reach out in time. Time slowed to a stop as Lucy’s final moments commenced.

            “So, you have murdered me after all. But what good will that do you? The Shroud isn’t here.” Lucy informed her.

            “You sought a tool of healing in order to extend your own power,” Evie replied.

            “Not mine, ours. You are so short-sighted. You’d hoard power and never use it when we would better the condition of humanity. I hope you never find the Shroud. You have no idea what it truly can do.” Evie grabbed Lucy up by her coat.

            “Tell me then.”

            “No.”

            Time began to move, and you charged forward for the necklace. Evie dodged you with ease.

            “You’re on the wrong side.” She said. You turned to her, attempting another lunge for the necklace while managing to land a blow to her face.

            “Who are you to determine right from wrong?!” You argued. You continued your attacks for the necklace, hoping the Templars would come in time and help her. Evie shifted back from you.

            “I’m done trying to reason with you,” Evie muttered as she moved on the offensive. Her hidden blade came out and slashed your left eye. You screamed in pain. She sent the blade through your shoulder, and you fell back in pain. The Templars came rushing upstairs just as Evie hopped out the Tower’s window. You glared at the window in pain as you gripped your eye, blood seeping through your window.

            “Get me to Crawford.”

            After sneaking out with the only Templars that didn’t get caught by the real Royal Guards, they managed to temporarily treat your shoulder and eye. You arrived at Crawford’s office with your left eye shut, and a temporary bandage over your shoulder. Crawford looked at you stunned.

            “Lucy was killed by the assassins.” You said immediately. Crawford stood from his seat.

            “And the key? Where is the key?” He asked. You shook your head.

            “I apologize. I failed to retrieve it from the hands of Miss Frye.” Crawford looked at you in disbelief before slamming his fist on the table, making you jolt.

            “The Shroud will be mine even if I have to raise hellfire to do it.” He looked at his assistant. “Burn the letter.” He stepped towards you, touching your face as if you would break. “Call the doctor so he can look at her wounds.” He instructed his assistant. He kissed you softly. “I said not to put yourself in danger.”

            “I let my guard down on accident.” You replied. You excused yourself to go up to the bathroom. You stood in front of the mirror and looked at the cut that ran over your eyes, slightly wincing when you touched it. “Well, I’d fit in just fine with the Blighters now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> Sooooo I was originally going to go on hiatus but my friend suggested I just change my update schedule. I'll be updating on once a week on Wednesdays. I could usually do a bunch of chapters easily, but I'm writing two fics at the same time which was an incredibly bad idea. I might add Saturday maybe depending on the level of difficulty might art projects are.


	13. Your Resolution

            Twopenny looked you up and down with a mixture of disdain and suspicion.

            “You look unqualified. Why did Crawford bring you here?” He asked with a snap of your fingers. Crawford had told you to join Twopenny as he robbed the Bank of England. He had a hunch that assassins would make an appearance to stop the man, and he wanted them dealt with. You knew he meant to kill them, but you only wanted to get them out of London.

            You smiled sharply at Twopenny. “I can assure you that I’m not interested in protecting a common thief, so we are both uncomfortable today.” He puffed out his chest at you and walked away upset. You were half expecting him to start an argument with you. You turned and started your patrol of the vault. You were dressed in all black, wearing boots, pants, and a basic shirt with a coat over it. You looked down at the gauntlet attached to your arm.

            You turned your attention to the various goods and valuables stored in the vault.

            “The rich sure have it good.” You muttered as you stared at the gold and other expensive shiny objects. It wasn’t until a few minutes passed that you realized that you hadn’t seen or heard Twopenny. You tensed up slightly and went searching for him. You came across a room and had to duck around the corner as you watched Twopenny drop to the ground dead from Jacob’s blade. “Damn it…” You swore underneath your breath.

            Clenching your fists, you dipped out of the vault, heading for the bank doors. You noticed pedestrians being escorted out of the building, and you blended in with them. When you spotted Frederick Abberline with other police officers, you figured that Jacob had heard of the robbery plans.  Sure enough, when the Templars came out, Abberline arrested all of them. You duck around a corner, needing to report back to Crawford.

            Bad timing seemed to follow you like a plague. Jacob came out of an entrance, and he spotted you.

            “(Y/N)…” He muttered softly. You looked at him before backing up into an alleyway. You turned, used your grappling hook, and took to the rooftop. Jacob didn’t seem intent on letting you leave without conflict, chasing behind you.

            You threw yourself onto a rooftop, landing poorly but still continuing to move. You had to move smart so that you could get the upper hand, choosing roofs that had flat surfaces and made running easier for you. Stamina got the best of you after a while, and you had to stop and catch your breath. You looked out the corner of your eye as Jacob landed behind you. You stood straight and looked at him from over your shoulder.

            “What happened to your eye?” He asked, concern evident on his face. You huffed as you tried to catch your breath.

            “Evie treated me as the enemy.” You answered winded. Finally, you turned to face him. “I suggest you do the same.” You casually open the right side of your coat, revealing the Templar sigil stitched on the inside. Jacob looked at it then at you. “I’m a Templar now.”

            “Do you really think the Order is better than the Brotherhood?!” Jacob boomed.

            “The Order’s hands reach further, and they operate in the public.” You explained calmly. “Crawford is at the top of the Order, so if I can get him to alter his thinking, the Templars will become a powerful force, bettering life for all people.” You added emphasis on ‘all’, knowing that would be exactly where Jacob would poke at.

            Jacob stepped around the building, baffled. “Do you not hear yourself right now, (Y/N)?!”

            “Jacob –.”

            “No, (Y/N)! The Templars are evil!”

            You pursed your lips. “I agree.” You said softly. You hardened your eyes. “I’ll change that without having to kill anyone.” He scoffed in disbelief, but you don’t let yourself waver. “I’m helping Crawford build-up London while you’ve only been tearing it down.”

            “I am tearing down a man that is obsessed with power that allows corrupt men into high positions so that Crawford can control them.”

            “It’s temporary.” You bit back. “I’m going to find the Shroud and use it.” You start walking around. “Crawford wanted me to kill you, but I love you, Jacob.” You looked at him exasperated. “I’m just asking you, Evie, and Mr. Green to leave while Crawford and I clean up.”  Jacob stepped towards you.

            “If you really loved me, you would be with me. Not opposing me in this manner.” He fumed. “I can’t believe this is the conclusion that you’ve come to.” You saw the disappointment in his eyes, and you felt your resolve begin to break. You avoided his eyes as you continued to speak.

            “I’ve studied the Brotherhood and Order’s history. I believe the two can work together using the Apples of Eden.” You pointed out. “They would improve life for everyone in the world.”

            “It was not meant for man to use.” He said.

            “Don’t lie.” You argued. “If given the chance, you would use it.”

            Jacob shook his head. “I will drag you back to Crawley if I have to. You’ve obviously lost a few screws since you came here.”

            You huffed a sigh. You removed your coat, tying it around your waist. You pulled your hair back into a bun and held up your open palm, only your fingers curled.

            “I’m sorry it’s come to this.” You decided.

            Jacob can’t believe what he was seeing. He pointed at himself. “You’re going to fight me?” You maintained your stance.

            “If you don’t leave, I’ll be forced to subdue you and bring you back to Crawford.” He held his head.

            “Your father would have a stroke if he saw what you were doing.”

            “My parents do not dictate my future!” You yelled as you charged. You swung your right arm, and Jacob easily moved out of the way. You predicted you wouldn’t be able to land a blow like that, so you were ready. You twisted your upper body, keeping one foot on the ground as your leg came from, landing a back spin kick on Jacob. Your foot connected with his cheek, managing to land a strong blow on him. Jacob, caught off guard, stumbled back, touching his lip as blood trails out.

            You shifted back to your correct stand, motioning for him to attack against. He straightened himself out at you while you waited for his first move.

            “…I have more skill than you in combat, (Y/N).” He reminded. “This is not an equally matched fight.”

            “I’m confident in my defensive skills.” You replied confidently. “And I was there when you and Evie were learning to fight. I know your pattern.”

            “I don’t want to fight you.”

            You charged forward again, landing a hard smack to his face. You quickly jolted back, stepping out of his range when he tried to get hold of you.

            “You’re going to get tired of staying that.” You gestured to your scar. “Evie did. That’s how I ended up with the scar.” Jacob rubbed his reddening cheek.

            “I wouldn’t hurt the woman I love.” He stated. You faltered in your step before growing angry.

            “Jacob, you chose the worst timing to say that.” You growled. “Did you really think saying that was going to change my mind in any way?!”

            “You are not in love with Starrick.” He said bluntly. Anger grew in you, and you landed another smack to his other cheek.

            “What do you know, Jacob!?” You shouted as you stepped around him. You frowned. “What do you know? You’re always so quick to leave me. At least Crawford doesn’t run away from me.” You scoffed, the feelings from all those years welling up in your chest. Your eyes began to sting, but you weren’t going to let yourself cry of Jacob. Never again. “Whenever I get sick of the charades, the games you play, Jacob, I move on. It’s only then that you come back, as if you’re an owner, taking back your property.” He didn’t say anything, making you more upset. “I’m not anyone’s property!” You practically sobbed as you swung your leg to kick him.

            Jacob easily grabbed hold of your leg, picking you up into your hold. He watched the tears that were dripping from your eyes. “Try telling that to Starrick.” He told you. “Everyone around him is a commodity, something to be used. I’m all for rebellion, but this one could end badly.” He pulled you in close to you. “Please, (Y/N), stop while you still can.”

            You wiped your face of the tears. You reached out and held Jacob’s face, kissing him softly. He kissed you back. You placed your forehead against his and took a moment to catch your breath, stopping the tears.

            “…I’m sorry.” You murmured in apology. You brought your head back, sending it hard into Jacob’s face. He dropped you as he gripped his nose in pain. You glared at him as you stepped back. “Stay away from me and London, Jacob.” You warned him. “The next time I see you, I won’t be holding back.”


	14. Sidebar Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay  
> I've literally been losing a lot of interest in writing the story (mainly because the MC kinda pisses me off but whatever (I mean that means I did a good job writing her out and whatever) yeah)  
> Every time I get a notification that I've got a kudo, I sit there like "Omfg people actually like this??? Sounds fake lmao!" but if you like it, I'll figure out a way to finish it (kinda feels like I'm going in circles as I reread the story)  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> I thought a little bit of a sidebar conversation would give me a bit of a chance to get the story rolling for me again  
> Thank you so goddamn much for all the love and support  
> I never thought I'd write a short chapter but here we are!

            Jacob wasn’t sure how he got back to the train. Your recent change in attitude had been such a shock to him that he didn’t believe it was real. He greeted Agnes absentmindedly before taking a seat in his chair, holding his hands together.

            He was brought from his thoughts when he felt a damp cloth wipe the drying blood from his nose. He looked up and met his sister’s gaze. “Out and about causing trouble?” She asked. Jacob gently pushed her hand away and rubbed his nose.

            “I met with (Y/N).” He answered. When he saw the slight stiffening of Evie’s movements, he remembered your eye. “Did you let your temper best you when you attacked her?” He asked simply. Evie gave him a look and shook her head as she placed the cloth down in his hands. Jacob wiped the rest of the blood from his nose, waiting for her answer.

            “I’m treating her the way she wants to be treated.” Evie finally responded. She crossed her arms as she puffed out her chest. “She wants to be in the Templar Order? Fine. But I refuse to treat her the same as I would if she were in the Brotherhood.”

            “She’s confused.” Jacob pointed out.

            “Be that as it may, she’s come to a conclusion, and it doesn’t look like she’s going to budge. Jacob, I’m not sure what you expect me to do at this point.”

            “Don’t give up on her.” He deadpanned. She let her hands drop in exhaustion. Jacob stood. “(Y/N) is family to us. I can’t lose her because of some infatuation she has with Starrick.” He explained. Evie jabbed her finger into his chest.

            “We wouldn’t have to deal with this nonsense if you had stopped playing around with her.” Jacob bit his bottom lip in frustration.

            “…She doesn’t believe me now.” He said quietly. “I don’t know how to convince her to come back to us. She told me that she wants to change the Order.” Evie blinked surprised and shifted to a more relaxed stance.

            “Change the Order?”

            “She wants to use the Shroud.” He slouched in his chair. “She’s out of control, and I don’t want word of this to spread to the higher-ups. They’ll order for her execution. Evie, she thinks that she can change Starrick’s mind about how he goes about flaunting his power.” Evie looked at her brother, seeing the despair on his face.

            “…Jacob, I know this is going to hurt for you,” Evie began. “But until I manage to locate the Shroud, we must treat (Y/N) as the enemy.”

            “Do you really think I can attack her?”

            “Do you really think you can convince her to come back?” Evie countered. Jacob’s jaw locked, and he tightened his mouth shut. “The goal is to get to it before she and Starrick can. Starrick is the one that caused her to change her mind. She’s a fool in love.”

            “She’s not in love with him.” He snapped at Evie, only earning an eye roll from her.

            “Whatever her relationship with him is, it is probably something fragile. If you keep up with eliminating Starrick’s men of power, we weaken him. He’ll start getting frustrated and irrational. Perhaps it will make (Y/N) see him for what he truly is.” Evie theorized. Jacob nodded his head softly in understanding. The door opened, and Henry walked into the room. He felt the tension and closed the door slowly.

            “Has something happened?”

            “(Y/N) has become a Templar it seems,” Evie answered. She looked at Henry. “We’ll need to speed up our process of finding the Shroud.”

            “Well, I’ve retrieved Lucy Thorne’s research about the Shroud, so I’ll be going through it to see if it gives us any clues.” He told them. He saw their down casted looks. “If Miss (Y/L/N) is as smart as you’ve made her out to be, I would not worry too much about her.”

            “I don’t question her ability to retain knowledge,” Jacob replied. “Only her ability to process it.”

            “She processes it a lot better than you do Jacob,” Evie said with a snort. Jacob’s mood lightened slightly and he rolled his eyes at his sister. He stood up from his chair.

            “I don’t want to continue sulking if it means being comforted by the two of you.” Jacob teased, mood lifting up. He put on his hat and winked at the two of them. “You kids play nice.” He slipped out the door before Evie could come up with a retort.

            “A rogue assassin is rare though,” Henry spoke. He looked at Evie. “If it’s not rude for me to say, I’d like to add that it feels as if you don’t really have any interest in saving Miss (Y/L/N).” Evie looked back at Henry and scratched behind her ear.

            “I’m really just weary of the whole situation.” She admitted. “(Y/N) has the ability to be a great assassin if she wasn’t so focused on her lack of physical skill. She denies that it puts a damper on her performance abilities, but it does.” She looked at the door Jacob had left through. Henry raised an eyebrow.

            “Are you thinking that if she fails in convincing Crawford Starrick, he’ll kill her?”

            “I haven’t seen her and the man interact to come to the extreme conclusion that he’ll kill her,” Evie replied. “Mr. Starrick doesn’t seem like the type to do it himself, and that Roth character is still alive. It’s a dangerous situation she’s put herself in and that worries me.”

            “The goal is to kill Crawford Starrick.” Henry reminded her. “If her combat skills are not all that great, we can always hold her back while we deal with Starrick ourselves.” Lucy slowly nodded her head, lost in thought. She glanced back at Henry.

            “Mr. Green, I’ll be retiring for the night. There’s much for us to research and discuss, but there’s no need to push ourselves to the point of exhaustion, hmm?”

            “I hope you heed your own words well, Miss Frye.” Henry playfully replied as he excused himself from the room. Evie smiled and went to her own room while the thought of having to kill you danced in the back of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are aiming for a new chapter Wednesday  
> WE GOT THIS! (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง  
> (If you've read my other two fics, you know I always have this episode so let's see how this goes)


	15. A Step Forward

            You grabbed hold of Roth’s wooden stick, jerking it forward, and knocking him off balance so you could pull the weapon to your side. Roth didn’t give up there. He kicked your legs out from under you, making you fall to the ground. You used the stick as a guard against the heel of his foot which came down and aimed at your face. You rolled far enough away to pull yourself away. Roth was already back on his feet. He stepped around you with his hands on his back.

            “I don’t specialize in non-lethal attacks,” Roth explained, gesturing to the bruise you got on your arm during the earlier roughhousing between the two of you.

            “That’s okay.” You assured him. “I’ll be making the moves non-lethal.” You shrugged slightly with a smirk. “Just have to remove the intent to kill.”

            Roth grinned slightly. “Interesting.” He called you. “You were teamed up with Lilla, correct?” You nodded your head softly. “She was not averse to killing though?”

            “Yes.” You agreed. “I wish I had the chance to change her mind.” Roth hummed in agreement. He ended the conversation by moving to attack again. You weren’t confident that you could win against the twins at your current strength, so you asked Roth to give you a few lessons. He was very vicious in his attack, and his intent to kill was completely obvious. You studied his moves and figured you’d have the chance to use the maneuvers to your advantage. Nothing compared to the assassin’s training, but it was better than nothing.

            Roth continued training you for another hour or so before you called it quits for the day. You moved to put on your coat as you prepared to leave. Roth sat on his stage and watched you redress.

            “I’m starting to understand why Crawford likes you.” He spoke up. You looked over at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He claps his hands together, pointing his two index fingers at you. “You should be careful, (Y/N). Crawford’s people are being picked off one by one.” He pursed his lips. “One might become suspicious of another.”

            You gave him a tight smile. “I suggest you do the same.” You bit back. Roth laughed loudly, clearly unfazed by the threat.

            “You two do no scare me. Besides, I’m hoping to get a visit from our strapping young gentleman, Jacob Frye.” Roth leaned towards you. “He fascinates me.” You looked at him, a bit worried by his expression.

            “He is eye-catching.” You agreed with a bit of a distant look in your eyes. Roth noticed it with a knowing smirk.

            “Trouble in paradise?” He asked slyly.

            “No.” You snapped, coming back to reality. Roth laughed, throwing his head back.

            “There’s nothing wrong with indulging yourself, Darling!”

            You buttoned your coat and nearly rolled your eyes. “I’ll be excusing myself, for now, Roth. I’ll speak to you later.” You replied politely as you headed for the exit to the theater.

            “You should come any time you want to practice!” Roth called as he watched you leave. You stepped out of the theater, out onto the sidewalk. The wind blew, and you tightened your coat around you. It had been a couple of days since you had seen Jacob. You’d like to believe he left London, but you knew better. It had also been some time since you’d seen Crawford.

            After researching a bit through the various notes Lucy left being, you had come to the conclusion that there was a possibility of the Shroud being in Buckingham Palace. The place was a fortress, but if you had the layout of the palace, you could narrow down the search area. You slowed to a stop as the wind picked up, carrying leaves with it.

            You knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince Crawford to change his mentality, but you still believed there was a chance. You ran your hand over the scar over your eye, well aware that you couldn’t let the Brotherhood win and get the upper hand.

            A few minutes later, you arrived back at Crawford’s manor. The butler opened the door and greeted you as you entered.

            “Mr. Starrick has returned home.” One of the maids informed you as they helped you remove your coat. “He’s in his office.”

            “Thank you.” You replied as you hurried up the stairs and down the hall to his office. You opened the door unannounced. He looked up at you and his hardened face softened at the sight of you.

            “Sorry for being away so long.” He apologized. You walked over to him at a brisk pace and hugged him. He hugged you back, and you felt all the tension in your body ease away. When the two of you parted, he gave you an exhausted look. “Nothing is going according to plan.” He admitted as he overlooked his papers.

            “I couldn’t convince the Assassins to leave.” You said apologetically.

            Crawford lifted your chin in order to kiss you. “I guessed that they would not be amicable to removing their presence in London.” You nodded your head in understanding then stared at him.

            “Crawford, I want you to answer a question for me.” You requested. “Honestly, of course.”

            “What is it?”

            You rubbed the sides of his arms as he held you. “…Do you truly intend to better mankind for the sake of all and not the sake of few?” You questioned. Crawford tilted his head, a bit confused.

            “Where is this all coming from?” He asked.

            “Just…Just answer me. Please.”

            He smiled softly at you. “Everything I and the Order do is for the sake of all mankind.” He assured you. You nodded your head softly and hugged him again. Crawford kissed the top of your hair. “Did I pass the test?” He asked teasingly.

            You laughed softly then pulled away from him with an excited look in your eyes. “I might have an idea of the true location of the Shroud.” You said.

            “Where?” He asked immediately.

            “I need the blueprints that were used for the construction of Buckingham Palace.”

            “It’s in the palace?” He squinted his eyes. “Are you sure.” You nodded your head confidently. Crawford perked up, obviously happy with his search headed in a positive direction. “I’ll get the plans for you. Don’t you worry.”

            “I’ll need all of the plans, including any renovations done to the palace.” You instructed.

            “I’ll bring them for you.”

            “Of course,” You continued. “I don’t have the key so that may slow us down. Don’t worry though! It won’t completely stop the plans.” You touched your chest proudly. “I’m confident in my ability to show results. I haven’t been the best at showing what I can accomplish lately. My physical aspects are nothing good, but my brain is top notch and no one can compare.”

            Crawford cut you off, pressing his lips against yours. “I haven’t had to do that in a while.” He murmured against your lips. You chuckled. “I’m happy that the switching of sides hasn’t changed you.”

            You raised one shoulder in a nonchalant manner. “It’s not as if I’ve given up the idea of helping humanity.” You explained. “I’ve just changed how I’m going about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We made it on time!  
> Hope you enjoyed! (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง


	16. Changing Tactics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating early since I'll be doing printmaking around the time I usually post

            “Thank you.” You said as Crawford handed over the map to you. He had called you up to his office a day after you had asked him for the plans. If you were being honest, you hadn’t expected him to have gotten a hold of the blueprints to Buckingham Palace so easily. It was where the Queen lived, and the fact that he was able to retrieve so well made you wonder exactly how much influence Crawford had in London. You noticed him sigh as he sat back in his chair. You raised an eyebrow, both concerned and confused. “You don’t look like a man who has gotten ahead in the hunt for the Shroud. This is a big step for us.” You added, trying to comfort him in whatever was wrong.

            “I know, (Y/N),” Crawford replied. “I failed in getting rid of one of the assassins.” He admitted. You blinked.

            “When did you attempt that?” You asked softly.

            “We’re not that much ahead of them. They were trying to get a hold of these maps and plans, so my men tried to take care of him. A Henry Green, I believe. However, Miss Frye got in the way of that.” You nodded your head slowly as you turned away. Crawford noticed and looked up at you. “Are you getting cold feet now?”

            You looked back at him momentarily, shaking your head. “No, that’s not it. It just…old habits die hard.” You told him. “I’m still faithful to you and the Order.” You leaned against his desk, crossing your hands over your chest. “So…what’s next?” He met your gaze, staring at you for a moment in complete silence.

            “…I’d prefer that you not be involved in the next project.” He finally said. You were about to ask why, but he placed his hand up, stopping you. “I want you focused on finding out where the Shroud is.” He continued. “In the end, the Assassin’s attempts to stop me would be for nothing if the Shroud is in my hands.” You nodded your head in understanding of his reasoning. Crawford’s face relaxed, and he stood up, kissing your forehead. “Apologies, my dear. I’m afraid I will be gone again for a while.”

            “I’ll be okay.” You assured him. “With these plans, there’s plenty to keep me busy while you’re gone. Good luck with your future endeavors though.” He kissed you before leaving you alone in his office. You looked out of the window and watched him get into his carriage before turning and heading up to the spare room you had been using. You spread out the maps on the floor, and your attention was grabbed by the symbol that was on the key that gained entrance to the vault holding the Shroud.

            You recalled that Evie had taken it from Lucy in the Tower of London. You stared at the map and figured that it would do no good if you couldn’t open the vault. You stood up and brushed your pants straight.

            “This would be better if I had the key.” You said to yourself, moving to your closet. You changed into more comfortable clothes and attached your gauntlet. You put on your jacket and headed downstairs. “I’ll only be gone for the night!” You told the maids as you hurried out the door.

            You set out towards the closest train tracks. You figured that you might as well wait for the train rather than try to chase it down. Using your grappling hook, you pulled yourself up to a roof that overlooked the tracks and waited. It was the best plan in your opinion. It had only been once, but you were sure you could recognize which train was theirs. You pulled your legs up to your chest and sighed.

            The sun slowly set as the day turned to night, and you still hadn’t seen the train. Rain began to pour down, but you didn’t let it dissuade you from your plan. You only pulled on your hood. You weren’t sure how many hours had passed. Sleep was threatening to take over when you finally noticed the train that the twins had brought you to before. You jumped from the roof to the tracks, rushing towards the train. Grabbing the handle next to the steps, you pulled yourself onto the train with a grunt.

            You took a moment to catch your breath before peering inside the train car. It was just your luck that you chose the train car that had both the twins and Henry inside. You knew Evie would keep the key on her person, so you would have to wait till she fell asleep to swipe it. You chuckled to yourself. It was only now that you felt like an assassin. The best plan for you would be to wait on the rooftop for Evie to come out and retire to her cabin for the night. You were about to get on the roof when your nose decided to betray you. You sneezed loudly and repetitively, holding the handle so you wouldn’t fall off the train.

            The door to the train car swung open, and you were grabbed by your shirt collar and pulled inside before you could react. You slammed against the wall with a grunt. You winced at the pain and looked up to see Jacob angry before you. In the back of your head, you thought that you had been in this situation before.

            “Why are you here?!” He snapped angrily. You swallowed hard as your brain tried to process the situation in front of you.

            “I could ask you the same thing.” You replied. “I told you to leave and you didn’t. I was trying to avoid you getting involved with Crawford.” Your eyes drifted towards Henry. “I’m sorry, Mr. Green. I didn’t know Crawford would try and kill you.”

            “Seriously?” Evie said with a scoff. You clamped your teeth shut and took a deep breath, looking back at Jacob.

            “Crawford broke my agreement with him and wants to eliminate you guys.” You informed them.

            “You can’t be surprised,” Jacob said. “He was just using you.”

            “Forget that.” Evie interrupted, stepping forward. “You still haven’t told us what you want.” You pursed your lip, pulling on a sad expression.

            “I…I came to apologize. The city life isn’t for me.” You tilted your head down, feigning loss. “I’m going back to Crawley.” All three assassins look at you surprised as you sneezed again. Jacob let you go, and you took the chance to straighten your shirt. “I was stupid. I’ll admit it.” Evie looked at you unconvinced.

            “You really changed your mind just because Starrick went after Henry?” She questioned, suspicious of your motives.

            You cleared your throat lightly as you spoke again. “It started my decision, yes, but it really came down to when I found out that Crawford was only interested in using the Shroud for his own benefit.” A towel was dropped on your head.

            “I told you,” Jacob said as he began to dry your hair. You looked at your feet.

            “Yeah…” You replied softly. Jacob stopped drying your hair and lifted you up into his arms. He looked back at Evie and Henry.

            “We’ll be retiring to my room now,” Jacob said.

            “Hold on a minute!” Evie countered. He waved her off.

            “We can talk more in the morning.” He brought you back to his train car and set you down. “How long had you been waiting in the rain?” He asked as he removed the towel from your head. You looked up at him.    

            “Not long.” You replied as you covered your mouth to sneeze again. “I didn’t really have a solid idea of where exactly you and Evie stayed since the last time I was on the train, I wasn’t in the best state mentally.” You shrugged. “So, I just sat there and waited for a train that resembled yours to come by. Not the best idea, I know, but it worked, didn’t it?”

            Jacob chuckled, moving to fill up the tub in his train car with warm water. He gestured towards it. “Let’s get you warmed up.” You looked at him for a moment. When he made it clear that he wasn’t going to leave you alone, you figured that there was no need to be shy around him. You disrobed and got in the tub. The warmth on your skin was very welcoming. Jacob took off his coat and gauntlets, rolling up his sleeves to clean you. You jerked away from him.

            “I can clean myself.” You argued. He pulled up a stool to sit by you.

            “Let me indulge myself in pampering you.” He replied. “I won’t get to see you again until after it’s over.”

            A pang of guilt traveled through your heart, and you tried to play it off with a laugh. “You’re being sappy.” You said with a half-smile on your lips.

            “It took me believing that I had lost you to come to my senses about how I feel about you.” He responded. You felt your body increase in temperature, and it wasn’t due to the heat of the tub. You reluctantly acquiesced to his request and reclined back in the tub. Jacob took his time washing you, going through your hair carefully. You twitched when you first felt his lips at the base of your neck. He kissed you again, right below your ear before kissing you again on your temple. When he finished cleaning you, he wrapped you in a towel. “Let’s go to bed, hmm?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the love and kudos!  
> Hope you enjoyed it!


	17. Manipulator

            One thing you always liked about Jacob was that he had large hands. They were rough with calluses from all the years he’s spent being an assassin. He ran his hands up and down your body as if memorizing all the dips and curves of it. He pressed his lips lightly on the upper half of the scar on your lips as you lied on his bed.

            He moved down kissing your neck, playing with your collarbone, but rolling his around one of your erect nipples. He closed his mouth over the nub and sucked, making you jolt, curling your spine off the bed as he rolled the other nipple between his thumb and index finger.

            You whimpered softly as he shifted down your body, kissing your stomach softly. It fluttered under his touch. Jacob moved and positioned his head between your legs. He smiled when you looked down at him. He kissed the inside of your thigh, sucking slightly till it left a mark. He littered both sides of your thighs in kisses.

            “When it’s all over,” Jacob began as his lips ghosted over your wet heat, “You can come back to London. We can be together.”

            You didn’t answer him, more so you couldn’t because he licked his way through your folds to your clit. He played with it lightly, flicking his tongue out. His tongue danced around it before he closed his lips on it and soaked. You gripped the bedsheets tightly as you moaned.

            Jacob smiled and held your legs apart when you reflexively tried to close them. He wrapped his arms around your thighs, pulling you closer to his mouth. He used his hands to spread you open so he could dip his tongue inside you.

            “J-Jacob.” You stuttered breathlessly. He hummed, making you jolt from the vibration.

            You felt yourself becoming unwound. Jacob moved one of his hands, placing it on her clit where he rolled his hand in circles over it, adding more and more pressure as time went on. You couldn’t hold it in anymore.

            When orgasm hit, you rolled your head back and your thighs shook viciously. Jacob smiled and lapped up your essence as it flowed out of you. You relaxed a bit, but he wasn’t done. Jacob licked your sensitive clit. You jumped slightly but he held you down as he slid two fingers easily inside of you. You stretched your hands out to hold his face.

            He came up to meet your lips in a deep kiss. He rolled his tongue into your mouth while beginning a rhythm with his fingers pushing in and out of you. You smiled and pushed your hips into his hand. Jacob slid a third finger into you and used his thumb to put pressure on your clit.

            You wrapped your hands around his neck, running your hands up into his hair. He kissed your neck while increasing the speed of his fingers. You sighed softly as you held him close to you. He kissed your cheek. Your next orgasm was quiet, just a fluttering of your walls and a quiet exhale. Jacob let you come down from your high before slid his fingers out of you one by one. He sat back and began to disrobe. He noticed that you were staring up at him.

            “What is it?” He asked a bit embarrassed. You rested your hands on his chest, running your fingers on his tattoo.

            “…Tell me you love me.”

            “I love you.” He answered immediately. You smiled warmly at him, pulling him down for a kiss.

            “Yeah…” You said softly. He kissed your forehead as he slid inside you.

            When his hips pressed flush against yours, you twitched slightly at the feeling of being so full. Jacob face flushed, and you kissed him. He rolled his hip, and your breath escaped you. You held his waist.

            “Jacob… move.” You pleaded, kissing his collarbones. He chuckled softly.

            “Don’t get me too riled up.” He said as he pulled out and thrust back inside. Your legs trembled in ecstasy. Jacob shifted himself in the upright position, holding your thighs as he drove into you. You watched the sweat start to appear on his skin as he pushed in and out of you.

            You held the pillow behind your head as you bit down on your lip. Jacob saw how tightly you were biting your lip and made you open your mouth where he pushed his tongue inside. You couldn’t hold back all the moans and cries of his name as he continued to push you towards your next orgasm.

            He turned you over carefully, and he pushed back inside you. You moaned into the pillow. He lathered your back with kisses, stroking your spine which made you tighten up around him. You wrapped your fingers around his, and he brought your hands to his lips kissing you softly.

            Jacob’s thrusts became faster and more powerful, and it overwhelmed you. You clenched down on him as your orgasm had you convulsing around his hardened member. Jacob groaned and pushed into one final time while he bit down hard where your shoulder met your neck. You twitched as another orgasm hit you. Your vision blurred momentarily.

            You lost all strength in your body and slumped onto the bed breathing hard. Jacob stayed inside of you for a moment before slowly pulling out of you. He lied down next to you, staring up at the ceiling completely winded. Your eyes drifted over to Jacob, and you reached your hand out to run through his hair. He chuckled softly.

            “Do you really like my hair that much?” He asked as he propped himself up to look at you.

            “Just memorizing the feeling.” You replied. He took your hand and kissed your wrist.

            “We’ll see each other again, (Y/N). Don’t worry about it.”

            You paused in your movements and recoiled your hand away. “Yeah…” You said listlessly. Jacob pulled you into his arms, covering the two of you with a blanket. He relaxed and his eyes drifted shut. You watched him sleep as you waited.

            You kissed his lips softly when you knew he was in his deep state of sleep. You slipped out of his hold and moved quietly as you put your clothes back on. You stared at him one last time before slipping out of the room.

            You took to the roof of the train, choosing the quietest method of getting to Evie’s train car. It took a bit of work to lean over the roof of the train to peer into the window to see if it was her room or not. When you finally did reach her room, you slipped off the roof quietly and onto the steps. You pushed the door open quietly and saw Evie lying in her bed with the key around her neck.

            You stepped forward and placed a finger underneath her nose, checking for a shallow breath to indicate deep sleep. She was sleeping heavily enough for you to make the grab. You glanced around her room then back at her before you moved to take the key. You unsnapped the hook behind her neck, catching the necklace as it fell. You smiled softly as you stood up, successfully getting what you had wanted.

            Evie’s eyes suddenly shot open, and her foot came out of her blanket. She got you in the stomach, and you fell over painfully. Evie stood, revealing that she was still in full assassin equipment. She frowned as she looked down at you.

            “I knew we couldn’t trust you.”


	18. The Worst

            You lunged for the kukri and deflected Evie’s attack with another kukri. You rolled upright, jumping back to avoid another attack. You took a deep breath.

            “So, you didn’t believe me?” You asked. You shrugged one shoulder. “I thought it was pretty convincing.”

            “Jacob hasn’t fought you. That’s why he doesn’t see how devoted to the Templars you’ve become.” Evie answered moving to attack again. “Even if you never shut up, you’re still very selective about what you say.”

            “I think you’re making me out to be more of a monster than I am.” You replied. You used the blade to point her blade into the wall of the train car. You didn’t see her foot, and she kicked you into the wall. You gritted your teeth as your brain rattled. You grabbed papers and threw it in Evie’s face. Your only goal was to get away now that you had gotten the key.

            Roth had been taking time to train you, but you still weren’t as good as you needed to be. You lunged for the door, moving your head to the side as Evie’s blade entered the door. You looked back at where she stood, fuming furiously.

            “Anger makes you act impulsively!” You reminded her as you escaped into another train car. Evie ran after you. She grabbed you from behind, slamming you to the ground. You used your forearms to break your fall. Using your hips and legs, you flipped yourself around to make Evie lose her balance. You slammed your elbow into her cheek.

            She fell over in pain, and you scrambled to your feet. Evie grabbed your foot, and you fell again. You swerved your head back to look at her. You tried to kick her, and she dodged, lodging a throwing blade into your thigh. You bit your lip to hold back the scream from the shooting pain.

            Sitting upright, you punched Evie in the face and got to your feet. You got into another train car and stopped to pull out the throwing blade. You winced at the pain and tore curtains to be a makeshift bandage around the wound. Evie slammed the door open at one end, and Jacob slammed the door open at the other end. You grimaced at the unfortunate turn of events.

            “What’s going on!?” He demanded. You quietly swore underneath your breath. Both of your exits were blocked.

            “(Y/N) only came here to steal the key to the Shroud,” Evie stated. She sent a menacing glare towards you. “She was never going to come back to us, Jacob.” He looked at you. You took the chance to catch your breath for the next fight you knew you were going to have.

            “That’s not true…” Jacob said uneasily.

            “It’s true.” You admitted. Closing your eyes, you knew that you had to end this relationship. You opened your eyes and looked at Jacob with cold eyes. “I was using you to further the Templar’s goals.” Evie pulled a blade out from her cane. You gave a spiteful laugh. “I guess I’m now one of the Templars you have to kill.”

            “Unfortunate,” Evie replied, clearly unfazed by anything you said. She looked at Jacob. “You can stay out of my way or help me.” Evie charged again. You blocked her attack. “How dare you use Jacob!” She snarled.

            You pushed Evie away to turn and block Jacob’s blade. “Why have you become like this, (Y/N)?! This is not the (Y/N) I know!”

            “…You don’t know me.” You muttered, removing your block. Jacob fell forward, surprised. You sent your fist into his face, sending him back. Evie attacked again, and you blocked. Her leg came up for a kick, and you grabbed her arm, using the chance to twirl her into Jacob. You stepped back from them as Jacob caught her.

            “I’m getting that key back.” Evie proclaimed. You adjusted your footing as you tossed the kukri blade away.

            “You can’t win against us,” Jacob growled while glaring. You saw the anger in his eyes and shook your head.

            “Fighting isn’t my area of expertise.” You began as you watched them ready to attack again. You smirked. “However, I’m very good at self-defense.” They came at you. The first thing you had to do was rid them of their weapons. Evie was first. You sent her hand holding the blade down towards the ground while blocking her hand holding the cane. You aimed for her legs, moving her cane to hit Jacob in the face.

            He stumbled back, and you sent your foot into his face. You held one side of Evie’s face and used that same leg to knee the side of her head. You pushed her away, and she fell. You slipped your hand inside, grabbing her firearm. You shifted to the side, dodging Henry’s hidden blade.

            He stopped in mid-attack, and turned, landing a punch to your face. In the last second, you had placed your palm up, taking most of the blow. You kicked Henry’s knee in and backhanded him across the face, stepping away from all three of them. The three gathered themselves, and you stared at the difficult situation in front of you.

            Your saving grace was your brain in this situation. You were pretty quick with reflexes and could usually predict their movements, creating an opportunity for you to counter and defend. It was hard enough to do it with two people. Three was impossible for you.

            “You’re not getting away with that key,” Jacob said. Your eyes shifted towards the window. You took a deep breath.

            “Well, good night.” You aimed the gun at them and fired. As they dodged the bullet, you shot at the window, breaking it down. You ran at the window.

            “(Y/N)!” Jacob yelled as you threw yourself through the window. You didn’t realize you were on a bridge, and you slid right off. You landed on your side on the gravel, knocking the wind out of you. You shouted in pain. It was late, so you were lucky there was no one on the street. Tears threatened to pour out your eyes from the pain.

            You knew you couldn’t stay there because they’d come looking for you. You whimpered as you pushed yourself to your feet. The glass shards had not been kind to you, having cut up your whole body. You felt some shards in you as you shuffled to a back alleyway. The twins had Eagle Vision, so you forced yourself to keep moving.

            “Adrenaline’s wearing off and pain receptors are starting to recognize my injuries.” You muttered to yourself as the spot on your thigh where Evie had stabbed you started to throb. You ignored the tears as they finally fell from the pain. You pressed your hand against your coat, feeling the key to the Shroud inside. “Mission…accomplished.” You said, trying to sound smug but failing. “No serious injuries. Though, I might have a concussion due to the fall. Wasn’t the wisest idea to jump out of a window.” You continued to talk to yourself to stay awake as you made your way back to Laila’s home.

            You swung the back door to her house open and stumbled inside. The house was eerily quiet. As per your request, everything was still in place, and the house had been maintained. You struggled up the stairs to the bathroom where you found the first aid kit. You finally looked at all the shards in you, and the amount of blood you had been losing.

            You had to cut your clothes off of you before you could begin treating your wounds. When you pulled out the last shard and tossed it in the sink, you stared at yourself in the mirror. You looked bloodied and beat up. You still found yourself smiling.

            “I managed to beat the twins in something.” You said proudly. You limped over to the tub and began running a hot bath.


	19. Interference

            You stepped into Crawford’s office two days later with bandages all over you. Crawford stood in his office and turned to see you. He blinked a couple of times as his eyes drifted between your injuries before he set down his papers and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

            “It’s like all my warnings go in one ear and out the other for you.” He grumbled annoyed. You shifted in your stance then walked forward and pulled the key out from your inner jacket pocket. You placed it on his desk, and he looked down at it then back up at you. Crawford picked it up and stared at it in awe. “(Y/N)…how were you able to get a hold of it.” You gestured to your body.

            “Well, it wasn’t easy to escape, but the assassins let their guard down around me. I retrieved it relatively easily.” You answered. You glanced down at your feet. “It’s probably the last time they’ll let me be around them.” The words felt kind of heavy, and guilt panged through you. You pulled your head up to look at Crawford. “We’re nearly there.” You said, ignoring the feeling.

            Crawford nodded his head. “You’ve done enough for me, (Y/N).”

            “I’m willing to help in any way.” If you could avoid thinking about it, it would be better. Crawford watched you do idle movement before he spoke up.

            “I suppose.” He acquiesced. “The Earl of Cardigan was killed this morning.” You frowned.

            “Jacob.” You said annoyed.

            “Perhaps.” He replied. “The Earl was no one of importance.” He held up the key. “I now have the key, and we know where the Shroud is. The assassins can’t stop me.” The smile on his face made you smile as well.

            You nodded your head confidently. “I won’t let them get in your way.” Crawford took a seat at his desk, looking at you amused. You tilted your head, confused by his expression. “What?” He motioned for you to come over. You did so, and he pulled you down to sit on his thigh. Your face heated in embarrassment.

            “You’ve changed.”

            “Hmm? I guess London has had an influence on me.” You pondered. “The meaning behind someone changing is rather subjective if you think about it. I mean, it depends on the topic at hand. My definition of my changing can mean something completely different in another. Have I changed? Sure. In what way? Well, there’s a lot of different responses for that.” You rambled on.

            He chuckled. “That part of you hasn’t changed.” He kissed your cheek, and you bit your lip as you smiled softly. “You should continue to meet up with Roth for more training exercises.” He suggested, changing the subject. You nodded your head softly.

            “Yes, if it wasn’t for Roth’s training, I wouldn’t have gotten the key.” You let out a long sigh and stretched. “I’m going to need a vacation when this is done.”

            “I’ll see what I can do,” Crawford said as he pulled you in for another kiss.

            The next day, you followed Crawford’s advice and made your way to the theatre to meet with Roth. None of the other staff or actors were there when you entered through the back, so you thought he might not have been there until you heard his laugh. It came from the stage area. You stepped towards the stage, ready to call out his name. You came to a halting stop when you saw him with Jacob at a table together.

            You ducked behind a stage prop, inching closer so you could hear what the two were talking about.

            “My friend,” Roth began as he stepped close to Jacob. “If I fail to provide you with the chance to cause Starrick some pain,” He gestured around the stage. “Well, you can charge into this theatre and kill me yourself.”

            A deep frown came over your face. You wondered why you never realized Roth’s fickle loyalty towards Crawford. You knew you were going to have to relay this information back to him. Roth was not to be trusted.

            “What do YOU get out of all this?” Jacob asked; his suspicion understandable. Roth laughed and smiled.

            “The chance to have a little fun with the bravest man in London!” He proclaimed. Jacob finished his drink and gave Roth a suave smile.

            “You have a deal!”

            Roth’s eyes shined as he placed his bottle down. “Lewis! My carriage! Shall we?” You saw them heading for the exit behind you and moved first, slipping out of the theatre and around the corner. You were about to go back to warn Crawford when you saw Roth and Jacob getting into a carriage. If Roth were about to cause some damage to Crawford, it would be better if you stopped him here and now.

            When the two were seated on the carriage, you slipped onto the back of it, shifting down until you were underneath it. You held on tightly as the carriage drove off, flattening yourself on the base of the carriage. The gravel was rugged, and you bounced quite a bit as the ride continued. You stared at the wheel and faintly wondered how much damage you would take if you were to indeed fall.

            Minutes passed until you came to a stop. You looked around, trying to get a bearing of where you were. Roth and Jacob left the carriage to do whatever evil deed Roth had planned. You waited for their voices to become distant before rolling out from underneath the carriage. You stood and dusted yourself off. You looked around and realized you were near St. Pancreas station. Just as you were about to follow them, someone grabbed your hands from behind while another put a cloth in between your lips. You were about to struggle to get free, but a Blighter came around the carriage, punching you in the gut. You hunched over in pain, unable to fight back as they bound your limbs.

            You were tossed into the carriage roughly. You grunt as you twisted and turned to sit up. The Blighters locked you inside. You stared at your bound ankles as you rolled your wrists in the rope, struggling to break free. It was no use when you didn’t prepare for your hands to be bounded in the first place.

            You regretfully thought that you should’ve brought your gauntlet with you. You looked up at the window when you felt the carriage move forward. They were bringing you to another area. Moving to sit on your knees, you peered out the window and watched as you were moved to another side of the train station. You sat back and waited for Roth to make his appearance.

            When he did, he opened the door rather dramatically as he was as a person.

            “Oh,” He said very happily as he reached out and stroked your cheek. You flinched away from him. You glared at him though you knew full well that you wouldn’t be able to fight back. He loosened your mouth gag slightly, allowing you to speak.

            “Release me, Roth.” You demanded.

            “I’ll do no such thing.” He replied quickly. He chuckled and leaned forward, staring you right in the eyes. “You are the weakness for both Crawford and Dear Jacob.”

            You snort softly and shook your head, frowning. “Jacob and I are not on speaking terms.” Roth laughed before shoving the cloth back in your mouth.

            “We’ll see about that.” He shifted himself out of the carriage and looked down at you. “Life is a stage, Darling! And it’s ready for a performance unlike any other!” He proclaimed before shutting the door and locking it shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya enjoyed!  
> I've finished the planning and there are only four more chapters left!


	20. A Night of Celebration

            You rubbed your ankle cuffs from where it had dug into your skin as you sat in a corner. It had been three days since you had entered Roth’s “care”. He had tossed you in this room, telling you to behave yourself before completely abandoning you. In the back of your head, you wondered if Crawford was looking for you, or if Roth had come up with an excuse for where you were.

            It was a foolish thought in the back of your head that he would just leave you in here to rot because the only door to the room opened with a flair as Roth revealed himself. Behind him, two Blighters followed in behind him. They removed the chains on your wrists and ankles, pulling you roughly to your feet.

            “Evening, Sweetheart!” He greeted playfully. He motioned his head forward, instructing his men to pull you along with him as you were removed from the room. “(Y/N), the two of us have to put on a show for our dear Jacob!” He explained. You raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was planning now.

            “…Roth, might I remind you how Crawford will react when he finds out about what you’ve done?” You asked him. He stopped walking and looked over his shoulder back at you.

            “(Y/N).” He tutted softly as he fully turned to face you. “I have not been training you all this time so you can run to that man to solve your problems.” He grinned. “You should really be wanting to kill me.”

            You shifted back and made a face of disgust. “I don’t kill.” You replied sharply. Roth shrugged.

            “I would be the perfect first victim for you.”

            “It’s not in my nature to kill.” You insisted. His grin turned dark as if he was planning something.

            “Pushed to the edge,” He said lowly while stepping closer to you. “Anyone can be a killer.” You swallowed hard, hoping he couldn’t see the fear in your eyes. He pulled back, and you were separated from him. You were brought into a room where there were female Blighters who forcibly changed you into a simple dress. “You’re the main attraction!” Roth said when you were brought back out to him.

            That night, the Alhambra was filled to the brim with guests for the night’s performance. A rope was tied around your waist as Roth approached you. He took the rope from his men and tied your hands behind your back. He patted your cheeks as his face brimmed in amusement.

            “You’ll be an angel tonight, (Y/N).” Roth proclaimed before covering your mouth with a cloth.

            Without warning, you’re whisked up into the air to be put on display for the crowd. Roth laughed and stepped out onto the stage, earning the applause of the audience.

            “Mesdames et Messieurs, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Alhambra Music Hall! Tonight we have, for one night only, a very special performance of Corvus the Trickster.” The crowd clapped as Corvus stepped forward. Roth grinned darkly as he looked out at the crowd. “While some of the effects may be visceral and highly disturbing, do not be alarmed, my good people. Fear not! This is the purest form of entertainment. Tonight’s performance immortalizes and is for the benefit of a young fellow very near and dear to my heart. Any concerns or complaints may be addressed to him, ha-ha! Jacob, dear boy, tonight is for you.”

            You scanned the crowd as you fought with the rope to break free. You wondered if Jacob was actually here. You stopped struggling when you saw Roth pointing up towards you, and all eyes were on you.

            “We have a volunteer tonight! A big round of applause for this brave, brave woman!” He smirked up at you. “Our volunteer is about to die for you, Jacob.”

            He lowered you down to the ground and his assistants removed the rope from your waist, leaving the ones that bound your hands together.

            “You lucky people are about to witness this young lady being fired upon at point-blank range. Our performer will hit several targets around her head.” Roth moved you to stand in front of multiple targets. “You better not move or he’ll miss.” He threatened with a hushed whisper. You swallowed hard and tried to keep your legs from shaking. The audience laughed at you, thinking the whole performance is staged.

            Even if Jacob were here, he wouldn’t save you since you’re now on the enemy’s side. You blinked multiple time, reminding yourself that now was not the time to think of such things. You still had to find a way to escape the dreadful situation.

            “Exciting, is it not? We British are a hardy bunch. Let’s put that hardiness to the test!” Corvus fired his weapon into all the targets. He made a few hits get close to you, making you nearly jump in fear of being hit. Roth watched you with pure enjoyment in his eyes. He laughed heartily. “We found a suitably innocent young woman for this one!” The crowd laughed. “You laugh, ladies and gentlemen but I assure you that is the case! I have no doubt that you can hazard’s guess as to what this one concerns. Our courageous participant hasn’t even flinched!”

            You glared at Roth as the men switched to placing an apple on your head.

            “Standing a few feet away, our performer expertly throws his knives at the apple, slicing it in two. Will he or won’t he?!” The man threw his knife, slicing the apple with ease. You let out a sigh of relief as your body relaxed.

            “Roth, show yourself!” Both you and Roth looked up to see Jacob standing on one of the ledges. Roth grinned in amusement and waved his hand at Corvus. Corvus moved towards you, grabbing you, and pulling you back into the smoke. You spot one of his blades within your reach. You slipped it from him, hiding it by placing your palms together.

            “I hope you have enjoyed your evening so far, ladies and gentlemen,” Roth said as two of his Blighters came forward with torches. “I know I have. Now before our final act, I would like to toast all of you brave people who joined us tonight to celebrate life…” He grinned. “And death. Go on, toast them!” His men began to burn the stage, and the crowd began to scream and panic. Roth only laughed. “Your move, Jacob, my dear! BURN! BURN! BURN!” He chanted loudly.

            You broke your rope and sent your fist into Corvus’ side and your palm into his nose, breaking it. You run back towards the stage, removing the cloth from your mouth.

            “ROTH!” You yelled angrily. He turned to you.

            “You shall have the honor of ending my life, (Y/N).” He announced. You dodged burning lumber and approached the man while shaking your head.

            “It doesn’t have to be like this, Roth!”

            “This is exactly how it should be.” He responded calmly before moving in to attack you with a knife. You dodged the blade and blocked his attacks.

            “Think about this, Roth!” You pleaded, hoping to get him to have a moment of sanity. IT was no use; he only became more aggressive in his attacks.

            “I taught you all of your moves!” He yelled as he broke through your guard, kicking you to the ground. He smiled at you. “I really do wish to see Jacob and Mr. Starrick’s reaction to your death.” You rolled upright to dodge his blade again. You winced as he managed to cut your forearm. “Don’t worry, (Y/N)! Once you’re dead, I’ll have the two of them join you not long after! Have patience!” You shoved Roth back and took the chance to step back and get into fighting position. He charged again with the knife.

            Jacob dropped down without warning between the two of you. He pulled Roth’s hand that held the knife forward, sending his hidden blade into the man’s chest. Time slowed between the three of you. Roth still had a face of amusement.

            “Darlings! What a night! One not to be forgotten! The stuff of legends!” He said happily.

            Jacob looked at him with confusion. “Why did you do it? All of it?”

            “What?” Roth replied. “Snap a baby crow’s neck between my thumb and forefinger? Slice to bits the ones you deem “innocent”? Keep the world in its divine manic state? For the same reason I do anything –.” He pulled Jacob down for a kiss. Jacob recoiled back in confusion and disgust. “Why not?”

            Time continued forward as life left Roth. Jacob released him. “We need to escape.” Jacob urged as he reached out to grab hold of you. You stepped out of his reach, turning on your heel to get out of the theatre and away from him. “(Y/N)!” Jacob called out, ready to give chase. A burning stage prop fell, blocking his way to you. You stopped, looking over your shoulder at him. His eyes still said that he hoped for you to come back to him. “Please…” He said softly. You bit your bottom lip, clenching your fists.

            You wish he didn’t have that hope. You turned back towards the exit and escaped out the back of the theatre. You continued to run, having to stop after a moment to catch your breath. The flames could still be seen from where you stood. You wiped the sweat from your forehead and continued forward back to Crawford.


	21. Do Me the Honor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short I know ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

            Tea was pushed in front of you where you sat at the kitchen island in a daze. Your eyes drifted up to meet Crawford’s. He looked at you with concern. He glanced at the kitchen staff who quietly excused themselves out of the kitchen. You hadn’t even realized that it was the next day.

            When you had returned to Crawford’s last night, you couldn’t even explain what had happened. You remembered going to take a bath, but the events of the past twelve hours were too much for you to comprehend. You were in a daze most of the morning up until this point. Crawford watched you for a moment before taking a seat next to you with his own cup of tea.

            The two of you sat in a comfortable silence together, watching the outside garden view from the kitchen. The sun was warm and welcoming through the windows. You reached out and took the cup of tea, taking a sip and sighing softly.

            “…The Queen has sent me an invitation to a party at Buckingham Palace.” Crawford said, breaking the silence. You close your eyes momentarily and sipped your tea, enjoying the taste against your tongue. When you opened your eyes, you were met with a forehead kiss from Crawford. You leaned into the touch as he ran his hands through your hair. “(Y/N), are you okay? I know these past few days were a lot for you.”

            When you had managed to explain to Crawford where you had been for the past few days, the man had berated himself for not thinking twice about where you were with Roth. He was even more upset at all the danger you had been getting yourself into.

            “…I’m getting used to the danger.” You muttered in realization. You had just dealt with a psychotic man like Roth, and yet you weren’t on the first train back to Crawley. Crawford caressed your cheek.

            “I don’t particularly like that.” He said with a huff of laughter. You take his hand and smile softly.

            “I’m pretty sure that the first time we met was when I was joining the Blighter’s.” Crawford smiled and held your hand. “I was raised around danger. It’s just a little weird being so up close to it.” You tilted your head a bit as you thought of something. “Say, after this, could I still continue to act on behalf of the Order as an informant. Not so much on the frontlines fighting.”

            He turned from you, reaching into his pocket. You watched him do it curiously. He pulled out a small velvet box and slid it over to you. You looked down at it in confusion before picking it up and opening it. Inside, there was a beautiful ring on the inside. You covered your mouth in shock as your eyes drifted from the ring to Crawford who was smiling widely at you.

            “Actually, after all this, I was hoping I could take you as my wife.” He mentioned. You looked back at the ring, unsure of what to say.

            “I’m not –.”

            “Think about.” He interjected, closing your hand around the box. He kissed you softly. “I have to go to work now, but I’ll come back tonight so we can go together. I’ve already purchased your dress for tonight. The maids will help you change into it.” All you could do was nod your head. Crawford kissed you one more time before leaving the kitchen.

            The maids and cooks rushed into the room. “Congratulations!” They cheered together. You jolted in surprise at their loud entrance before chuckling.

            “You were listening, I see.”

            “I don’t mind serving Miss (Y/L/N),” The head maid began. “However, I’d be very excited and honored to serve Mrs. Starrick.” You smiled slightly and took a deep breath while stretching.

            “I suppose I should try on that dress now.” The head maid nodded her head as she motioned you to follow her through the house. One of the other maids couldn’t keep her excitement at bay and squealed in delight.

            “I’m excited to help plan a wedding. Oh, I can't wait!”

            “Crawford is the…ideal husband.” You replied. The image of Jacob flickered in your head as your thoughts drifted to him. You blinked a couple times to refocus and enter a room that had your dress for the party. You stepped around it and admired the emerald dress with gold decorations on it.

            The maids helped you into the dress, and it didn’t need any adjustments to it, fitting you like a glove. You admired yourself in a mirror and smiled.

            “It’s lovely.” You complimented. The head maid smiled and stepped back to look at you with a proud look on her face.

            “I’m happy I was correct in guessing your size and measurements. This was an express order for such late notice of the party.” You faced her.

            “Well, thank you for working so efficiently.”

            “It was nothing. Now, we should begin the preparations for tonight.” She suggested. She turned towards the other maids. “Ladies, let’s prepare the Miss for a bath.” The maids put together a bath for you, and you happily sunk into the warm water. You sighed heavily at the much-needed water soothing your skin.

            You stared off into space in the bathroom, wondering what all the hesitation was about. There should’ve been nothing to stop you from saying yes to Crawford. It was an easy question, and yet your mind kept drifting back to Jacob. You know you’ve cut off ties with him, and the idea of him shouldn’t be making you have second guesses.

            You tilted your head back and closed your eyes. You decided not to think about it. Instead, it was tonight that you were going to get your hands on the Shroud. You finished cleaning up and began to put together a bag with a change of clothes for once you got into Buckingham Palace. There was no way you could fight in that dress. Crawford would probably have men stationed in the palace that could carry this in for you.

            You finished drying off and took a moment to psych yourself up for tonight.


	22. Tomorrow Never Comes

            Buckingham Palace was enormous from the outside and the inside. You were awestruck by its size along with the décor chosen for the party. You couldn’t help but glance from side to side at the various elites at the party as you danced with Crawford.

            He noticed your awestruck face and smiled at you fondly. You met his gaze and couldn’t help the small smile that came over your face. You ducked your face, hiding the embarrassment. You took a moment to fix your face and looked at him, ready to get work done.

            “Instead of enjoying this night on the floor, shouldn’t we be getting a head start on something else?” You asked, remembering the true reason the two of you were here tonight. Crawford twirled you before bringing you back close to him.

            “There’s no need for worry.” He assured you. You raised one eyebrow unconvinced as he led you off the dancefloor.

            “I don’t want to give the Assassin’s the upper hand.” You insisted. Crawford dismissed your worries in favor of kissing your hand.

            “There’s no problem, (Y/N). Now, excuse me for a moment.” You watched him disappear into the crowd with a frown on your face. Your attention was grabbed by a guard motioning you over to him. You straightened yourself up and moved over to him. He was a Templar in disguise and had the bag you had packed before.

            You moved off to a less crowded area of the palace into a bathroom. You took a deep breath and removed the dress, changing into a men’s outfit. You tied up your hair, washing your makeup off before pushing your hair into a hat. You slipped your hidden blade gauntlet underneath your sleeves.

            As you placed a knife on the waistband on your back, you stared at yourself in the mirror. You smacked your face to hype yourself up. There was only one thing you needed to do tonight, and it was to get the Shroud. You hid your dress and slipped out of the bathroom, heading back to the party.

            Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Jacob as you stepped back outside. You noticed him moving quietly through the crowd. Evie wasn’t with him, and you swore underneath your breath, turning on your heel right into Crawford.

            “Oh, apologies…(Y/N)?” Crawford looked you up and down. “What in heavens are you wearing?”

            “I can’t exactly fight in a dress. Roth never had the chance to teach me that.” You said with a slight shrug of the shoulder. Crawford chuckled. You lowered your voice. “The assassins are here, Crawford.”

            “Yes, I’m aware.” He said, taking your hand. “Evie tried to take the key from me. Come, we don’t have long.” He pulled you along, away from the party and towards the pond. Templars are waiting with a boat. They carry the two of you to the small island in the middle of the pond. You follow him to the center where there’s a cement door in the ground.

            Crawford snapped his fingers, and his men began placing down explosives. The two of you stepped back as the explosion went off.

            “You didn’t have a quieter way of doing this?” You asked as you looked around, sure everyone has heard the noise.

            “We’re so close. And we must be quick.” The two of you hurried down the vault. The path led you to a massive hall with an altar standing at the end of it. Crawford opened it and the Shroud shined brightly.

            “Crawford, you found it.” You said excitedly. He looks at you, pulling you in for a kiss.

            “You found it.” He corrected. You grinned widely as you helped him put on the Shroud. “I feel powerful. With this, we will rule London.” Your smile dropped slightly at the way he phrased the sentence. You moved your eyes to the side and caught Jacob entering the vault. You frowned.

            “Keep the Shroud safe.” You instructed Crawford as you removed your coat and hat, rolling up your sleeves. You slide on gloves, drawing your blade to counter Jacob’s attack. Crawford touched your shoulder, and you felt the power of the Shroud surging through your body. You threw Jacob’s arm back, and you reached forward, grabbing him by his throat. Jacob dropped to his knees as you drained him of his strength.

            “What…what are you doing?” He asked. Crawford snarled at him.

            “Exploiting.” He answered. “I warned you, my boy. But you do not listen!”

            “(Y/N)…” Jacob whispered. “Please don’t do this.” The back of your ear twitched slightly, and you felt your grip loosening on Jacob. Your attention was grabbed when you looked up to see Evie dodging the protective barriers and running towards the three of you. Crawford pulled you away from Jacob, using the power of the Shroud to throw him back.

            You protected Crawford, blocking her blade with your own. Evie glared at you and fought you. “The Shroud is not for you two, (Y/N)! Hand it over!”

            “Who cares!?” You bit back as you kicked her knee to bring her down. “It’s ours now!” You landed a punch to Evie’s face. She grabbed your arm, pulling you down to run past you and attack Crawford. He easily fought against her with the Shroud healing all of his wounds.

            “Another Frye to feed on!” Crawford said as he grabbed Evie to drain her of her strength. “I will begin again. And this new London shall be even more magnificent.” Jacob ran at Crawford to free his sister.

            “He never gives up.” You muttered as you pulled yourself to your feet. You stepped in front of Crawford, blocking Jacob’s path. Jacob came to a stop in front of you.

            “Step out of the way, (Y/N)!” He warned. You shook your head.

            “No can do if you intend to kill Crawford.” You retorted. Pulling your hidden blade out, you moved to attack first. Jacob dodged your blow, and you quickly turned to deflect his own hidden blade. You had to quickly jump back and avoid his other hidden blade, catching you off guard. Jacob took the chance to grab your shirt, pulling you forward and headbutting you.

            Your brain shook as you fell to your knees from the blow. Jacob used the chance to free Evie. Crawford handled the two of them well, successfully getting both Evie and Jacob in his hands and getting them onto their knees.

            “Get. Out. Of. My. City.” Crawford growled in anger. A blade came out of nowhere, getting Crawford from behind. You gasped when you saw Crawford groan in pain and release the twins. He threw them away to grab the blade from his back. He stopped Henry with ease from attack and tossed the man some distance away.

            You struggled to your feet to stop the twins from charging again. Evie moved towards you with speed. You dodged her first punch, but she moved her knee into your stomach with force. You hunched over and braced your jaw for the two blows that flowed behind the knee. Her final blow, a kick to the stomach, had you fall back to the ground. You landed with a grunt.

            “Stay there,” Evie ordered. You coughed as you shifted onto all fours. The twins overwhelmed Crawford when they worked together. They threw him back after cutting off the Shroud from him. Evie looked at Jacob with a determined look. “Shall we?”

            Your feet reacted faster than your brain could process anything. You dashed forward, throwing yourself in front of Crawford before the twins could stop themselves. You gasped when the blades punctured you. Crawford looked at you in shock.

            Jacob’s eyes widened as he stared at you. His eyes slowly drifted down to where his hidden blade was lodged in your chest. He met your eyes, and your upper lip twitched up as you tried to smile. A tear falls from your left eyes as you grabbed the twins’ wrist, pulling their blades out of you. You spit up blood before falling.

            “(Y/N)!” Crawford screamed as he grabbed you. Evie attempted to cut down Crawford, but you used your body to protect Crawford. She hesitated and took a step away from you. You tried to stand, pretending you were all right, but your legs grew weak. Crawford attempted to reach out to you again, but Jacob grabbed you in a flash.

            “Don’t touch her!” He snarled. Jacob pushed the hair from your face, his fingers trembling. “(Y/N), (Y/N) look at me.” He whispered. His voice was beginning to crack. “I’m going to stop the bleeding. I’m going to keep you safe.” You coughed up more blood as blood poured into your lungs. Jacob couldn’t stop the bleeding. “No, I won’t let you leave me.”

            Evie knelt down beside you. You tried to smile at her. “I’ve really cocked things up now, huh?”

            “Why, (Y/N)?” She asked, tears threatening to fall. “I told you to stay put. Why did you get in the way?” You held Jacob’s face. He held your hand against his face.

            “Killing isn’t always the answer.” You answered. “I…I don’t want Crawford to…die.” You struggled to say. Evie glared at Crawford when he tried to approach you, keeping him in his place. She dropped her head into her hands, trying not to show any emotion. “Sorry, but don’t kill Crawford.” You swallowed hard. “Pl-Please.’

            “Why?!” Jacob argued. “He’s the reason you’re –.” Jacob covered his mouth, taking a deep breath as silent tears fell. You shook your head as best as you could.

            “I put myself in this situation, Jacob.” You laced your fingers in his and smiled at him with a sigh. “Crawford.” You shifted your eyes to look at him. He looked distraught. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline your offer.” You met Jacob’s eyes. “There’s someone I just can’t get over.” Pain coursed through your body, and you spit up more blood.

            “(Y/N)!” Jacob cried, holding you tightly against him.

            “This really hurts.” You said with hot tears streaking down your cheek.

            “Sorry,” Jacob whispered. “I’m so sorry, (Y/N).”

            You kissed his cheek, straining it red with your blood. “It’s not your fault.” He lied you back on his lap, kissing your forehead before placing his against yours. “I love you.” You whispered. Your heart pounded loudly in your ears before it ceased, and you let out your last breath before life left you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I have one more chapter for this fic tbch


	23. Fly

            Jacob watched as your coffin was slowly lowered to the ground. It was at this point that it was really setting in that you were gone, never to come back. Even on the train back to Crawley, he was expecting to see your goofy smile as he stepped off the train, waiting to welcome him back home. As he moved through Crawley, the only things he could see are places where he had memories of you, and it was everywhere that he saw you. It made him want to break down and cry.

            Back in London, Evie had to pull Jacob off of Crawford as repeatedly beat the man up. Instead of killing him, Evie respected your final wish, and they had him arrested to rot away in prison. The ambition the man once had seemed to have dissipated once you had died considering he didn’t even attempt to fight back when they carried him off. The clouds were graying, indicating that rain was soon to fall.

            Jacob glanced up, watching your mother cry heavily while your father held her close. He remembered the lost look on your mother’s face when the twins had returned with you in a coffin. The twins and Henry had agreed not to let what really happen in London with you be brought to the surface. They agreed to let you die the innocent, talkative, bookworm (Y/N).

            Evie stood next to her brother after the funeral as he continued to look at her gravestone. She rested her hand on his back, rubbing it for a moment before placing her hands on her back.

            “I’m going to India.” She stated. Jacob pulled his gaze up to hers.

            “What?”

            Evie cleared her throat. “(Y/N) had a point. Killing isn’t always the answer. Henry has informed me of techniques that the Indian Brotherhood uses that disables enemies and target without having to kill them.” She looked at your gravestone. “This is the only conclusion I could come to.” She faced her brother. “(Y/N) might no longer be with us, but I think we should at least acknowledge that her thinking wasn’t completely off the mark. Jacob, in the end, she still had no interest in killing people. Even after all she’d been through. That was the one thing that she stood firm about.” The side of Evie’s lip twitched up into a smile. “She might’ve been on to something.” Jacob watched his sister walk away and turned back to your gravestone.

            After leaving the graveyard, Jacob wandered around Crawley for a bit. The council and George left him be when they saw how lost Jacob looked getting off the train after returning from London. Most of the townsfolk left the man to mourn you in peace. It wasn’t long before he found himself sitting in your room, staring at all the things that reminded him of you. The scent of you was still strong in the room as if you had only left a couple of minutes ago. He looked at your pillow and kicked off his shoes, getting into the bed.

            He slid his hand underneath your pillow and felt something. He sat up as he pulled out the trinket of an elephant he had won in a bet with some of his friends when he was a kid. He gave it to you when he first began training to be an assassin, promising that the two of you would always be together, through thick and thin. Jacob sniffled and rubbed his eyes as he held the trinket tightly.

            There was a knock on the door, and Jacob cleared his throat as the door opened to reveal your mother. When he moved to his feet, she smiled.

            “Don’t be so rigid, Jacob. Relax.” She lectured. Jacob sat back down on the bed, and your mother sat on the windowsill, looking out at the land surrounding the house. Her attention was grabbed when she saw Jacob playing with the trinket. “…Huh, I’m surprised she left that here.” Jacob looked up at her. “(Y/N) never let that thing go since you gave it to her.”

            He looked at the trinket again before looking back at her. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” He apologized. “I kept stringing (Y/N) along, never being clear, and it got her killed.” Jacob swallowed down a lump in his throat and covered his face to hold back his tears. Your mother smiled at him sadly.

            “Jacob…do you really think that’s what (Y/N) wants to hear come out of your mouth?” She questioned. He looked at her. “Sweetheart, you’ve experienced a lot of loss: your mother, father, and now (Y/N).” She sighed and looked around the room. “I’ll admit: it’s going to be harder without a doubt to move past this, but I won’t let you stay down about this. There’s still work to be done in London.”

            He pursed his lips, a bit on the fence about going back to London. “I’m not entirely sure I can return there.”

            “Of course you can.” She said, standing straight. She wiggled her finger at him. “I’m not going to allow you to sit here and wallow in guilt.” She stepped towards him and held his hand in her hands while smiling at him. “Listen, I know that more happened in London than you’re letting on.” She felt his whole body tense in her hands.

            “Wha –.” She brushed his hair back with her fingers.

            “Mr. Frye, whatever happened in London was not your fault.” She assured him. “(Y/N) was not a person who could stand on her own. I regret not instilling more self-worth in her.” She touched Jacob’s cheek. “You do not regret your choices, Jacob Frye. Keeping London safe was all (Y/N) wanted. It’s up to you to uphold that wish.”

            Jacob relaxed and smiled a bit. “You’re right, Mrs. (Y/L/N).” She let go of him and placed her hands on her hips.

            “Of course I am! Now, that’s enough of me perking you up. I want you to get back to London because you have work to do, Mr. Frye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, that's it! We managed to finish writing another one!  
> Thank you for all the love, guys!  
> Umm I don't have any more ideas to write tbch sooo yeah  
> I was tossing around the idea of making a part 2 to my Control story with Jack the Ripper but idk we'll see cause I really want to work on making at least 2000-3000+ word chapters, but those are really freaking hard to do for me (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻  
> Thanks for taking the time to read this! I love you guys!


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